Friday, October 5, 2018

day SIX HUNDRED and TWENTY FOUR


Zero Tolerance

how something sweet is often rotten
the smell of garbage
the sound of a tax cut
the feel of a few extra
dollars in a wallet
to buy silence or indifference
children in camps

concentrate

a little brown girl flails
grasps air
her heart an empty elevator shaft
her chest an air pocket of grief

concentrate

little ones march into a repurposed Walmart
aisle 5    allergy and pain medicine
aisle 7    mouthwash toothpaste dental care
aisle 8    home repair and home security
aisle 10  orphans in underwear
aisle 11  infants sob in despair

we watch in flatlined flat-screen calm
shake our heads
stand before the ballgame begins
hands over hearts
brave at home
pray for the dead
pray for forgiveness
fall into bed

--Charlie Brice

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