Geoffrey Philp
Haikus for the End of the World
1
Crisp morning glories
Line the pathway on my walk
Beside withered trees
2
Ghost buses rumble
Past an empty bus shelter
While finches build nests.
3
Outside our Publix
Homeless men who searched for butts
Fidget on a bench
4
The Goodwill’s doors closed,
The homeless man who reads books
Finds newfound treasures
5
A murder of crows
Taunts a schizophrenic girl
By stealing her bread
6
In the parking lot
Pouis burn a bright yellow–
Sentinels of hope
Geoffrey Philp is the author of five books of poetry, two novels, two collections of short stories, and three children’s books. His work is represented in nearly every major anthology of Caribbean literature, and his work appears in both the Oxford Book of Caribbean Short Stories and the Oxford Book of Caribbean Verse. Philp’s work is featured on The Betsy Poetry Rail in an homage to twelve writers that shaped Miami culture (along with the work of Muhammad Ali, Richard Blanco, Adrian Castro, Chenjerai Hove, Langston Hughes, Donald Justice, Campbell McGrath, Carlos Pintado, Hyam Plutzik, Gerald Stern, and Julie Marie Wade). Philp lives in Miami.
SUBMIT to What Rough Beast via our SUBMITTABLE site.
If you enjoyed today’s poem and you value What Rough Beast, consider making a donation to Indolent Books, a nonprofit poetry press.