reverse shadows
after a photograph by Eiichi Matsumoto
charcoal scars
and tired wooden slats
both man and ladder seared to shade
here
where the air is steeped
in the memory of fire
hell dropped its livid star
what left at the still point of an alien war
watch the shadows darken
like sweet marinade
Joel Moktar writes poetry and short fiction. His writing has been published in various magazines and anthologies, including Popshot, Iota, Ink Sweat and Tears, Belleville Park Pages, and In Protest: 150 Poems for Human Rights. Joel has lived in three continents, and currently calls London home. You can read more of his writing at joelmoktar.wordpress.com