love poem, 20 years too late

 

and the problem with gods

of course

is that they die

 

is that they’re cowards

 

rain for a month and then snow and

no one hears the last sound the

baby makes before it goes under

 

tiny skull found five years

later wrapped in duct tape

 

house on fire at the end of

november and where are your manners?

 

the crows are hungry and the

prophets all blind

 

tires are bald

 

gas tank empty

 

ask the parents what any of

this means but the parents are gone

 

turn towards the sun but

clouds are moving in

 

dogs are starving and orphans are sick

and the government insists that

war is the only option

 

speak out against this and

see how quickly you become the enemy

 

no one wants the truth if the

truth is that they’re not beautiful,

                                not loved,

and no one wants any blame

 

no one wants to admit that

the baby exists

 

mother says she was sleeping

father says he was high

 

says he was fucking someone else’s

daughter in a trailer on the

south side of town and what you

need to understand is that priests have

teeth that are sharper than yours

 

the starving can all be saved

but it will never happen

 

no one in power will ever

give it up willingly

 

scream for christ all you want but

don’t waste your life

waiting for an answer