Peopleless proxies
in scenic settings
beside a lake
with sparkling sights
on raised terrace
above flower plots
at hayfield's edge
beneath aged apple tree.
Still wearing
in my eighties
traverse veteran
over many slopes
downhill vistas
on groomed runs
through woods and fields
in grooved tracks
crystallized moments
now left behind
but not forgotten
in its wraparound warmth.
So many questions
left unasked
lost revelations
ancestors long gone
into memoryless dust
beyond curious kin
genealogical hints
bits of family history
scant everyday details
a human conundrum
stuck in futility
lament for extinct answers.
House-building craze
charmless esthetic
brooding and boring
stark-white, big boxes
black-lined windows
with unshuttered stares
flat, linear faces
no genial features
of a welcoming home
minimalist appeal
more hospitalish
than hospitable.
