Mixed Usage

by Joyce Thornburg

I found an empty whiskey bottle in the park
nestled on a bed of tarnished leaves
where children play until it gets dark.

Squirrels climb on an oak tree bark;
Fall is here! You can feel it in the breeze.
I found an empty whiskey bottle in the park.

At night, there are those who stay in the park.
They sleep on a bed of fallen leaves
where children play until it gets dark.

Signs: No Dogs, No Alcohol, Do not Park.
You start to feel the squeeze.
I found an empty whiskey bottle in the park.

I see strays who make their mark
on trees that shed their leaves,
where children play until it gets dark.

In this world for the happy and hapless
I hear a cop yell at a man to “freeze!”
I found an empty whiskey bottle in the park,
where children play until it gets dark.

Joyce Thornburg is a visual artist with a working studio in Asheville's River Arts District. Her writing path began with journaling and experimental haiku and has evolved into a passion for poetry.

About Mixed Usage—While taking a walk in a neighborhood park, I was struck by the juxtaposition of disparate images in a public place. Using the villanelle form helped me bring layers of meaning to my poem.