54. The Bullet or Breath




the scalpel | and the suture

are one | the bullet hits

the bullet flies | small little

thing | but which such force

it hits | enters | exits

kills | such a clean little

hole in the body | such

a small little death | yet

we all die | from little

wounds | wounds to the

flesh | wounds to the

heart | a little death must

(will) | befall | us all

it is the wait | that wearies

us | it is the time it takes

to die | or | to know the

death is coming | better

if it surprises | more likely

we will watch | it creep

toward us | yet ablaze

 

can’t think | of it

except at times | when

the thought | of death

is comfort | is rest

and earth is | burden

stop is | desired

if not | required

the body sometimes | wants

what it | does not need

and the power | of want

is strong | indeed

but | dispense with that

think | instead

of your two | children

still children | the joy

of their breath | the insistence

of their pulse | how they

make you the man | you

could not | otherwise be

a father | of humans

 

breath in the | deep breath

of someone alive | and intent

on the joy | of life

of wife | of child and

other child | of the heat

of Texas | a man upright

in the midst of | this pandemic

this virus | that has no wants

but acts as if | so

and hold | hold hard

onto these | children

fruit of | your voice

calling to her | who

made these | two on

your blessed | behalf and

hug | as if life were given by hug

these children | here | now

and here | long after us

but ready to make | a world

we could want | to live in

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