The criminal in me wants to steal dusk
away from the undeserving, lay it out to
divvy up for the kids in my history classes
who are too busy——those who might never
think the hours after sunset could teach them
anything about the Renaissance. I am not
some kind of savior or socialist. I am
a frustrated poet weary of watching the
natural wonders of our world squandered on
those who refuse to see past their own nose.
I want to break into the houses of the
willfully ignorant, reset all the alarms for
a pre-dawn raid that forces them to confront
the morning sky as it sets up shop. If they
reject the natural world after watching the sun
burst over the horizon, corona in full bloom,
they deserve to be forgotten, lost within the
anonymous folds of history as it is written.
Justin Evans lives with his wife and sons in rural Nevada, where he teaches at the local high school. His most recent books are, All the Brilliant Ideas I’ve Ever Had (Aldrich Press, 2020) and Cenotaph (Kelsay Books, 2024). Justin has twice received Artist Fellowships from the Nevada Arts Council for his poetry. His favorite feud was the rivalry between Picasso and Matisse. Their call and response artwork is fascinating.
