But what did you see;
a life, mother
sweet smoke rising and the beating
of hands on legs
voices cast to heaven
a moment glimpsed and a second held
the darling eyes of a shepherdess
a quiet set between us
unbroken,
unbent
I might have asked her name
if I wasn’t leaving
“always to return”
There was a love between us
churned of mud and twisted metal
hewn stone and new wheat
clean, cleaving rain
the barking of dogs and the silence of mountains
heavy
free
shots fired across the hills
a warm hand around a young neck
a cold barrel on the head
but that’s business
don’t step on the grass
dust, dust, dust
breathe in
dust. dust. dust
and out
you’ll see
or you’ll cough it up
