To the Unfinished
written by: SR Inciardi
The paved portions of the roadway end
yet what continues stands in the air unfinished
in an undertone of absence
with all the parts needed to complete it
sitting along the road’s shoulder: the tools
the sedentary equipment and signage
wallowing in the sounds of emptiness
saying the road will stay unfinished to the point it reached
stretching only to what was finished and no further.
The roadway carves a hollow edge an imaginary seam
blurring the lines between completion and youthfulness
between hope and expectation yet visible
to the eyes of every passerby.
I believe the road’s mission will remain unfinished
its hardiness its grit left just as it was
so alike a spirit that abruptly departed
not exactly sure where it left off
or if it will ever pick up what it abandoned—
a spirit that cannot recall the details of an earlier time
or reflect upon why only some things remain
just as they were.
- To the Unfinished - April 19, 2026
- Lost Dreams - January 23, 2026
- Stilled World - October 16, 2025
