Zombie Envy

First published in ThievesJargon

I watch the dead cross the thoroughfare,
ragged jaywalkers, lurch step tattered remnants,
before dawn or at dusk,
when the air is dull
and the sky seals out
divine intervention,
sarcophagal black and void
of hope.

I panic and break, knee jerk
inhale,
Jesus Christ!!
afraid of killing
what can't be killed.
They gurgle-laugh, mold and
musty aspirations, dead leave skin rustles
against dirt worn shiny suits, and cardboard shoes.
They dry grass cough
and vanish.
The shadow world exposed
headlight exorcism.

Other times I slow,
match their crawl, ratchet necked they turn
and grin,
corn kernel smiles, and wave
a tree branch hand
that scrapes against aluminum siding at night.
screeeeeeeeeeeee screeeeeeeeeee taptaptap

The dead are there at malls, coffee shops
thumbing molded papers,
yesterday's news,
watching in envy
as we sleepwalk, white zombie death,
living in sensory deprivation,
wishing they could be bored again,
and again

Before the clouds come ablaze
they totter on matchstick legs,
whirling jackstraw arms,
back to rest, brown mulch sleeping
and dream
of us.

Reviews

[LilyGrace]

Brilliant. Good visual language, imagery etc... Well chosen words to reflect mood and image. Well written, good message also.
LGD

[Rod Zinkel]

Excellent. The work is heavy with description, in a good way. Some of the phrasing is almost jerky in reading, like ratchet necked, quite appropriately.

[Lady Of Darkness]

You don't see many poems about zombies, so it's a treat to actually read one.
I Like your choice of words for this poem, very dark. well done.