It Takes a Long Time to Go Nowhere, a Poem by Leigh-Anne Burley

Old soul’s chilled bones

click-clack out of burrows

emerge into the midday sun

at least those who survived

the frostbite of winter’s grief.

They ambled into town with purposeless purpose.

Sip black coffee in shops to make it last and

linger over outdated newspapers in libraries.

Down to their last cigarette

hollowed out restless spirits 

like driftwood washes ashore.

Weathered fingertips and tattered heartbeats

tap out listless meanderings down

grocery aisles hunting for bargains

for dinners for one while

listening for long-ago

wedding day bells.

Matchless people in a frenzied crowd

gone the way of the living dead.

Heart’s lonely cry echoes

in faraway conches.

At the twinkling of twilight

perforated rambling souls

amble back to burrows

stare into empty cisterns

slump into a cacophony of silence

and beg to enter

saints' sacred chambers.

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Leigh-Anne Burley was born and raised in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and lives in the United States. She publishes across genres. Her poetry explores the inner thoughts people experience when facing emotions such as fear, sadness, hope, and a sense of renewed connection. Her writing is online and in anthologies, and her Wix website features her work.