Everyday Eclipses

The hamburger flipped across the face of the bun

The frisbee winning the race against its own shadow

The cricket ball dropping for six in front of the church clock

On a golden plate, a host of communion wafers

The brown contact lens sliding across the blue iris

The palming of small change

Everyday eclipses.

Out of the frying pan, the tossed pancake orbits the Chinese lampshade

The water bucket echoing into the well

The black, snookering the cue ball against the green baize

The winning putt on the eighteenth

The tiddlywink twinkling toward the tiddlycup

Everyday eclipses.

Neck and neck in the hot-air balloon race

Holding up her sign, the lollipop lady blots out the Belisha beacon

The foaming tankard thumped onto the beermat

The plug into the plughole

In the fruit bowl, the orange rolls in front of the peach

Every day eclipses another day.

Goodbye bald patch, Hello yarmulke

A sombrero tossed into the bullring

Leading the parade, the big bass drum, we hear cymbals but cannot see them

One eclipse eclipses another eclipse.

To the cold, white face, the oxygen mask

But too late

One death eclipses another death.

The baby’s head, the mother’s breast

The open O of the mouth seeking the warm O of the nipple

One birth eclipses another birth

Everyday eclipses.