Van Gogh’s mad ear enflamed a field
of purple irises—marring the face of
a sleeping homeless man. Artists render
people like pastels & watercolors.
The wounded gather shopping carts & talk
about Jesus, their smiles resemble burn
scars. They tape magazine clippings
to bedroom mirrors & blow cigarette smoke
into perfect images still hoping to see a heartbeat.
Kevin Heaton lives and writes in South Carolina. His work has appeared in a number of publications including: Beloit Poetry Journal, Guernica, Slice Magazine, The Adroit Journal, and Monarch Review. He has been nominated three times for The Pushcart Prize.
Photo credit: Zuhair Ahmad
Turtle Way 