no river
the top was iron heavy
as i moved my hand
across the surface
there was a hissing sound
like a snake
as i reached deeper
i felt a rope
and pulled up a bag
green and radiating
i knew the river was lost
as my eyes burned
into yellow
corner of the world
ship captains
know the way
a map is useless
in a storm
find yourself an island
pinktreed
waterfalled
and peaceful
find it after the storm settles
and hang onto it
as long as
you can
in the reeds
beyond our cut out fort clearing
are reeds for miles
the reeds are brown
and yellow
we are to cut and clear today
further out into the wild
hand me a fishing pole, i say
i am the captain
cutting with
my hand
truly sad
a wine rack was empty
and full of cobwebs
a strange smell
was there
the floors were chipped
and the doors
gone
the desks were robbed
and the windows
broken
a sea breeze came through the house
blew paper
a cat meowed
upstairs
a litter was there
and i had nothing
to give
a funeral
teeth bite
into the skin
boots form artifacts
in the mud
rain falls
onto the hard hats
gloves coated in pine needles
pull hard
the sound
of falling trees
echo
as the mist
drags along the ground
to cover
each
fallen body
the giants
the movements
were slow
and
careful
as the giants
came through the trees
repairing
and mending
each
broken twig
and stepped upon
leaf
as if the war
were kind
and
gentle
my friend’s song
“what’s the matter,” i said
“everything,” you said
don’t you see that there’s reason to go on”
“i can’t”
then a bird sang up in a tree
clear and melodious
i said what a waste for a bird not to sing
when it can sing so beaut-fully
then a light came to your eye
and you were calm
but i don’t know if what i said was true
knowing that not all birds
that can sing
can sing
well
to heal
i took my heart off the table
a sliver was stuck in its vein
the cup of rhythm beat sadly
as i closed my chest
then the sun came in the door
and all the morning was
a bit softer
as i smoothed away the edges
of my now perfectly
rounded
scar