kg newman

iN THE VORTEX

A green sky has me nailing down the furniture.
A kettle of multi-colored vultures close in
on our suburb. Oblivious dogs open their mouths,
swallow fresh flowers. Depression doesn’t choose.
I painted the trees by hand and ladder.
Our luxury car won’t start; the beater needs
new tires. Anger burns the air like rush-hour traffic
and we cut corners any way we can,
to keep the kids stable and the gutters
from falling on our heads. I’ll be asleep in my beer
and you’ll probably be filing your false fangs
when the advice books start raining
and vandals tag toxic on all the local utility boxes.
The only sound will be a siren in the family room
where the news names me—though I’ll believe
I knew it to be you—for creating a tornado.

KG NEWMAN IS A SPORTSWRITER WHO COVERS THE COLORADO ROCKIES FOR THE DENVER POST. HIS FIRST TWO COLLECTIONS OF POEMS, WHILE DREAMING OF DIAMONDS IN WINTERTIME AND SELFISH NEVER GET THEIR OWN, ARE AVAILABLE ON AMAZON. THE ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY ALUM IS ON TWITTER @KYLENEWMANDP AND MORE INFO AND WRITING CAN BE FOUND AT KGNEWMAN.COM. HE LIVES IN CASTLE ROCK, COLORADO, WITH HIS WIFE AND TWO KIDS.