Imagine if you had to
harness a horse to a buggy
every time you wanted

to leave your home.
Well, that’s what
my neighbors do.

I live in Amish country
and often hear their darkling
clop clop clop going by.

So much of the elders’ lives are black
black back pocketless trousers, black
felt hats and black leather shoes, black

traps and even black
horses. I wonder if black
colors their lives.

“When life seems gray
And short of fizz
It seems that was
Because it is”