The Pines and Finish Line, 2 poems by Frank William Finney

The Pines

Behind Snow Drive,
rusty needles led to a pine grove,
where we made little circles
with dirty rocks
and lit little fires
with matches lifted
from the corner store.
These days the pines
that survive make little circles
of shade in a trail
of three-car garages
and realtors’ signs.
The old store stays open
in our heads.

Photo of pines against clouded sky — Photo by Ales Krivec on *Unsplash*

Finish Line

The knees will need braces.

The bones rebel.

The memory

turn traitor: rust to dust.

Hoops and hurdles.

Heartbreak Hills.

Fast as a mayfly or

slow as a sermon. Either way,

you’ll finally cross it.

Frank William Finney lives in Thailand and teaches literature at Thammasat University. His poems have appeared recently in Firewords (UK), Cathexis Northwest Press, Unstamatic, Prometheus Dreaming (USA), and Universal Oneness Anthology (India).