Across the River by John Drudge

Keeping it all 

At a distance

And not sure 

Where everything’s going

Nothing 

Means anything

Anymore

Not enjoying the rhythm

Of this new beat

I can’t tell

If I’m tired anymore

Degrees of tired

Melting into something

Amorphous

Something out of touch

With reality

As Champaign flows

In the old style 

Of living

In the Ritz bar

Across the river

With the ghosts of history

Dancing 

And eternity bleeding 

Onto the floor

John is a social worker working in the field of disability management and holds degrees in social work, rehabilitation services, and psychology.  He is the author of four books of poetry: “March” (2019), “The Seasons of Us” (2019), New Days (2020), and Fragments (2021). His work has appeared widely in numerous literary journals, magazines, and anthologies internationally. John is also a Pushcart Prize and Best of the Net nominee and lives in Caledon Ontario, Canada with his wife and two children.