Monday, February 08, 2016

A Man Flew In Our Town

[for Robert (L'il Rob) Haynes Jr.

whose extensive family called him "good"
who jumped over a concrete balcony in the public housing facility called Sunrise Towers, February 1, 2016 11 p.m. in the dead of winter. Police rushed to the scene on another call, hearing someone shout: "He jumped!"

born in Asheville, North Carolina 1966

died at 50 years of age, Winston Salem, NC 2016
He liked to cook his family said in their kind obituary where they could not bring themselves to mention his attempted flight, only that he was with God now. I found his picture online at the funeral home website.

He had a kind face. Someone should know this, more than do now so I wrote this poem]

*****************************************************

a man flew in our town
or tried to
over a stone cold balcony

his name barely mentioned anywhere.
no photo.
no autograph.

no one bringing flowers and little stuffed
animals to where he had lain
on the winter ground.

no candles.
not a sound.

leaves fall every day to the ground
in our town
the fog rolls in.

we name the leaves
and the fog.
we note their coming

and going
but in our town
a man flew over a

stone cold balcony
in distress
that almost no one noticed

unless they were angels
taking him to his rest.

mary angela douglas 8 february 2016

No comments: