Hidden Faces by Richard Schnap

The sun rises through the crimson clouds

A ruby sewn into a red velvet gown




As I watch the morning news on TV

A horror film with a thousand sequels




Across the street the parking lot fills up

A barren shore buried by the tide




While crowded buses pass slowly by

Ships carrying immigrants to strange new lands




Then a siren wails off in the distance

A lonely witch casting a love spell




And a crowd of children are led to school

A cluster of roses yet to sprout thorns




As the bell tolls in the church on the corner

The heartbeat of a man kissing his wife




While I watch the white trail of a high flying plane

The ghost of a blackbird haunting the sky











Richard Schnap is a poet, songwriter and collagist living in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. His poems have most recently appeared locally, nationally and overseas in a variety of print and online publications.