Scars & Empty Vases by Kevin Heaton

Homeless

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

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