Daryl Rogers
Daryl Rogers, is the former editor of River Rat Review. He states "Born and bred in Kentucky, came squalling into the wicked world in 1955, at an amazing 9 and a half pounds of doubt and wonder, walked the dirt roads of the hollers and hills and the backstreet bars of Lexington. Heard Patti Smith in '75 and published a few godawful poems then and not again till '86. First ones appeared in the NY Quarterly and Wormwood which, unfortunately, only encouraged me to keep it up."
Mozart's Requiem
is drowning out the real world
as the sun sets, blood-red and green
like in postcard Vietnam.
A green-eyed, strawberry blonde
runs a hand over her ponytail
and takes a deep breath.
She has on pastel-green scrubs.
The soles of her bare feet
are the color of charcoal.
She is on the lowest roof
of the hospital where she works
watching a strobe-lighted copter land.
She should at home by now but
she's smoking grass and beginning
to appreciate the morphine.
The pristine voices of the choir
ride the swells of the violins
like storm clouds conquering the sky.
Darkness, lighted candles, mourning,
pale powdered skin, plush surroundings,
leaded windows open to the night air.
Garbage doing the Ramone's
I JUST WANNA HAVE SOMETHING TO DO
afterward like a shot of adrenaline.
Centre College
Danville, Ky
April 10, 2005
Girls sitting on the new grass
their shoes kicked off
reading textbooks in the sun
like spring flowers
dotting the grounds,
pale shoulders, arms,
cleavage and bright, naked
legs bathed in warm April light.
Red-headed dude
walking barefoot
across campus
his sun visor
turned sideways
to casually catch
the southwest rays.
Young woman in a tank top
and jeans playing
on a rope swing
in the blue shade
of an oak tree
just beginning to bud.
I'm on my way
to the library
to try and find a copy
of Aldous Huxley's
"The Perennial Philosophy".
Brother crow says caw
while picking at a rotted
grey clump
in the middle of the road
that divides the student center
from the chapel.
