flick an oil drum with your finger and listen
to the voices of liquid echo
peel the scratch pads, legal papers, erased and
scrawled notes ideas reminders listen
untied shoes, the filth on soles
accumulated to rupturing
discared and discarded the ghost shuffle listen
dead children unsuccessfully protected
no matter how close we got we just couldn’t
keep their attention long enough to say “No!
Don’t doubt! It’s true you are unwanted but
it does not make you worthless!” small and
spiteful pearly rotting bags
upwards gaping with china doll eyes who tell you listen
to life and the world, it is all one
same drawn-out moment and listen
to the wet songs humming like secrets
in its cold and darkest corners and listen
to the moans from the sticks we drop in ceremony
from the bridge only to walk to the other side
to watch them float under and away
late summer, 2013