the seagull on the rooftop (a poem)

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(because i saw a seagull on a rooftop…)

 

dead centre there it stood

the seagull on the rooftop

watching the world for all it stood

in a standstill where it chose to stop

 

did it see the truck was blowing steam

did it know the rain would fall

did it ever, like you and me, dream

did it know the meaning of all

 

the seagull on the rooftop stood

where it stopped on the centre of the roof

watching the houses as they stood

eyes empty maws shut silent with reproof

 

was there life within those wooden shells

were the people happy there

what sort of folks did there dream and dwell

of what did they truly care

 

on the centre of the roof the seagull stopped

like a carving carefully placed

like a weathervane that had rusted stuck

contemplating what it might face

 

did it know what roof to choose or why

does it care the way we do

does it ever care if it lives or dies

do we stand on rooftops too

 

© Cindy Lapeña, 2014

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