the great century

 

it was afterwards, victory

declared and no way to thaw the

frozen ground except by

burning the corpses

 

it was the need to dream

laid gently

against the inability to sleep

 

sat there awake at four in

the afternoon, shivering and

cold in the sunlight

 

lay there at four in the

morning listening to the house

fall apart around me

 

my wife said

we need to be brave

 

our children just laughed

 

sang and played out in the

yard while a gentle rain

of ashes covered everything