Un

man,

if I were to cut your breath

the rings would add up to twenty six

yet, you have already been cast

as hero

and clown

and prop

in this low budget film

 

you,

you have seen envy

as green as clotted money

staining your hands

as consuming

and hypnotic

and easy

as ignorance

 

you,

you have written, without a pen

your color into the book of life

even as it turned into invisible ink

in your hands

your stomach

your head

 

you,

you have seen them turn their faces

to the voice of the Siren

but only you have had the courage

to dance

and clap

and sing along

 

you,

you have felt the silence of forced apathy

the steel cold of a heart-wound

the vibration of its healing

improper

in the use

of poetry

 

man,

don't use this as a paradigm

a filter through which to view

the rest of your song

even

if it seems

honest

 

man,

you haven't experienced

the fluid of being as stream

running to join your ocean

but your piece

will fit

into the puzzle