Howie Good

Nostalgia for the Light

1

The beach is empty.

Head down, as if lost in thought,

I walk along the shore,

informers and false witnesses

everywhere.

2

The silver light filtering

through the clouds

is flecked with shadows,

like the one-eyed cat’s

one good eye. . .

or a firebomb hidden

among the garbage

and the seaweed

obsessively rehearsing

what it’s going to say. 

3

When it rains,

how quickly my pockets

fill up with water!

I always think

the same thing:

You bastards,

there are innocent people

down here.

Howie Good, a journalism professor at SUNY New Paltz, is the author of the new poetry collection, Dreaming in Red, from Right Hand Pointing. All proceeds from the sale of the book go to charity, which can be read about here.