mercedes Lawry

apocalypse in the rear view mirror

hardly a rumor,
fire, like a sweep of broken wings
across the dry brush,
the finality of water
evaporated, or rising to consume,
silence of birds, the insects’
absence,
the last footfall, not
dramatic or astounding,
just the winding up
of us on earth,
our own reckless waste
that leaves no
echo

__________

About the author

Mercedes Lawry grew up in Pittsburgh and after a few peripatetic years post-college, landed in Seattle in the late ’70s. She is the author of three poetry chapbooks; the latest, In the Early Garden with Reason, was selected by Molly Peacock for the 2018 WaterSedge Chapbook Contest. She’s published widely in such journals as Poetry, Nimrod, Prairie Schooner, and Alaska Quarterly Review. She’s also published short fiction, essays, and stories and poems for children. Among her favorite memories are living in the forest in Northern California and washing Margaret Atwood’s dishes.