Second Coming No. 196 — August 3, 2025

A poem-a-day protest against the threat posed to our democracy by Donald Trump and his fascist regime

Elizabeth Irwin
Six Haiku About Shade

Beguiled by leafy
Shade, I could almost believe
None of this happened –

Lured by the quiet,
The dapple sun I barely
Glimpse, through waving boughs –

Away from battle,
Away from the factories
And guns, the black masks –

All an illusion,
My breath drawing, smooth, the air
Far from that knowledge –

How can I tell you
How my sweet green privilege
Allows me to live

When others languish
And toil across the barrens,
No shade anywhere –

---

Elizabeth Irwin lives in Mebane, NC in a lively household that includes her husband, mother, nephew and two dogs. Irwin holds a B.A. in English from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. This is her first publication.

---

Second Coming is a publication of Indolent Books, a haven for poets over 50 without a first book and a welcoming space for women, people of color, queer and trans writers, and others who do not fit molds or conform to expectations.

If you are not already, consider becoming a paid subscriber or making a one-time tax-deductible donation to Indolent Arts, our nonprofit sponsor.

Submit to Second Coming