"Forgotten"
by: Julia Newbern
July 30, 2008

The derelict, against the canyon's slope lies
Forgotten long ago
--- And of undetermined age
A shell of its former grace, once someone's pride
Now slowly rusting away
--- Weatherbeaten and worn
Oblivious to its sad existence noisy traffic speeds by
Drowning out echoes of memories
--- Burned away by the heat of the sun
Once full of promise and life, once with a name
Now no longer remembered or mourned
--- For something it can no longer be
High overhead, are heard raucous crow's cries
Beneath, the empty shell seems to weep
--- Half-covered in a blanket of sage
Ghosts of yesterday, for laughs and a ride
Take their seat, where only now exist
--- Small shreds of leather cracked and torn
Gazing across at it, I sadly wondered why
Man's progress seems to slide back two
--- For each step so hard won
Who, I wondered, was the one to blame?
How long ago was this derelict scorned
--- And blinded to a future it would never see?
The summer's breeze in the canyon sighs
Late afternoon shadows bring creeping
--- A darkness deep, from another age