A Poem by Gary Beck

The Last Blossom

A row of Magnolia trees
bloomed briefly,
exquisite flowers,
intoxicating scent,
unnoticed
by most New Yorkers
busily intent
on their affairs,
city dwellers
more and more unaware
of what is near them
rarely looking up or down,
even more dangerous,
not looking around.
As we further detach ourselves
from impending reality
it's unreasonable to expect
perception of nature's wonders,
now a row of green trees,
like other green trees,
except for one blossom,
soon to fall.

Gary Beck has spent most of his adult life as a theater director, and as an art dealer when he couldn't make a living in theater.  He has 11 published chapbooks.  His poetry collections include:  Days of Destruction (Skive Press), Expectations (Rogue Scholars Press), Dawn in Cities, Assault on Nature, Songs of a Clerk, Civilized Ways (Winter Goose Publishing).  Perceptions, Displays, Fault Lines and Tremors will be published by Winter Goose Publishing.  Conditioned Response will be published by Nazar Look.  His novels include:  Extreme Change (Cogwheel Press), Acts of Defiance (Artema Press), Flawed Connections (Black Rose Writing).  His short story collection, A Glimpse of Yough (Sweatshoppe Publications).  His original plays and translations of Moliere, Aristophanes and Sophocles have been produced Off Broadway.  His poetry, fiction and essays have appeared in hundreds of literary magazines.  He currently lives in New York City.