Frank X. Gaspar

Frank X. Gaspar has an excellent piece in Perihelion, issue 6 [vol. 2, ii from 2000] called "The Olive Trees". We rarely focus on 'straight narrative/explanation' poetry, but he has a great style and perfect subject matter--and a lock on beauty in words.

Many poets try to simply describe terrible scenes and dreary, rundown places, but there is nothing to look at there but the detritus of destruction, war, suffering and evil. While that type of poetry can help get people motivated to fix the world's problems, it is more a call to action than simple 'poetry' alone.

Here's an excerpt:

In the courtyard, in the center of the oldest building
among the old Spanish buildings, among the white 
stuccoed walls, among the ochre tiled roofs, the olive trees
are preparing to leave this world. They are dropping 
the dark boles [...]

[...]  how they leave the morning sun unperturbed?
[...]