“Some Words for the Week”

Crosses by the roadside

with names and numbers

carved or painted

into the weather greying wood

represent the ones

who have died

along these tree lined curves

and I see the flowers

people set at the bases

of these makeshift graves

and I understand

the value of symbols

and of honoring the dead

but I begin to wonder

what then is an effigy to living

for being alive

is worth remembering to

and I drive on

and I see snowy peaks

pink with the start of day

and I smell stove some

on the brought in air

in the heat of my truck

and when I park at work

and lug the tools

up to the job

I hear a few birds

singing softly

backgrounded by uncut blue

and I taste the mountain air

and bring it into my chest

Alexander Shalom Joseph is a writer from Gilpin County. He has two published books and one more forthcoming in the Fall of 2022. For more information and to subscribe to Alexander’s Newsletter go to alexandershalomjoseph.com