a glass of whiskey
a cigar
and the cool night air
on my balcony
watching the occasional plane
drift by in the sky
amid the few stars
this city sky offers
and a sort of peace
prevails
the melancholy
at bay
and the ghosts
resting quietly
in their corners
of the mind
peace
in the backyards below
so peaceful
sitting on the balcony
the occasional gull
my only companions
and the sound
of children laughing
at play
in the backyards
below
through the trees
the breeze feels cool
on my face chest
a bird calls somewhere
beyond the yard
and a statue of Ataturk
can be seen
through the trees
a schoolyard empty now
still an hour before
the call to prayer
but my soul
finds peace
in the space
between the leaves
in the air
not quite dawn
not quite night
peaceful sleep
he glides off
into a peaceful sleep
that only those
long accustomed
to a way of life
beyond their control
achieve
these old bones
there’s Bailey’s
in my coffee
the cat asleep
back there
on the bed
the sun peeking
through the haze
on the hills
beyond
and these old bones
almost feel peaceful
again
heaven
sleep
without dreams
2am in Ayvalık on November 16, 2016
a dog barked earlier
somewhere toward the sea
the fire’s embers glow
there is peace
in the air
in my heart
morning will come
as it always does
another day older
another year fades
6am, Thursday morning, Maltepe, Istanbul
I stand eating
corn on the cob
on my balcony
at six
in the morning
gazing at the Princes’ Islands
basking in the sun
listening to gulls
flying overhead
feeling peace
descend
on my world
evening in Elmira
the cat moves
cautiously
around this newcomer
paw to foot
an experiment
the fan blows
a friend sleeps
the night quiet
here
in the upper regions
of New York State
and peace
in the heart
here
among friends
at the edge of the sea
here
at the edge
of the sea
my mind settles
in that place
called serenity
a final home
of sorts
for one
too long
adrift
Leonard Durso 