kendall a. bell

slanted walls

the walls were slanted at either end
it was something that was never questioned
as the person who slept and played there
was far too small to care about such things

there may have been tile on the floor
it could have been carpet
did it matter?

two windows brought plenty of yellow rays
to warm you in early years
their sills were roads for your matchbox cars

over the years you would move
to different rooms around the house
where the walls would shape the space
in a perfect rectangle
only one room bore a window
though you would draw the shade
as you knew that the days of simple pleasures
had been left behind
in between those slanted walls


Kendall A. Bell is a North Jersey native now trudging around South Jersey. His work has appeared in numerous print and online journals, most recently Thick With Conviction and Flutter, and was nominated for a 2007 Best of the Net award. He is a co-founding member of the Quick And Dirty Poets, Co-editor of the online journal Chantarelle's Notebook and the publisher/editor of Maverick Duck Press. He is a football and music fanatic and resident codger.