Sunday evening

Complacencies
dreams a little

too easy on the tongue
drinking coffee

or biting into a sweet
juicy orange

catastrophe kept at bay
by building sandbags

out of books
and the ancient sacrifice

of knowledge
the hush hush

of toxic literary gossip
Night settles

over the wide river
and all is apparently

at peace as the lights
are dimmed

here by the Tower
where blood once ruled

stone has the upper hand
the flesh finally laid to rest

John Lyons