the seas died no more fishing
ships sail nowhere no reason to
for all waters had death’s stench
ocean’s breezes ceased shore waters rose
sadness
the book of dying: 1:8…
while some starved others grew fat
demanding the weak carry their load
the indebted workers had no choice
so made gold they couldn’t hold
the book of dying 1:6…
and so people fell on knees
prayed all day for the dead
but the dead did not pray
nor speak words nor did god
the book of dying 1:3…
as children died women cried out
these are children born from us
god charged us protect each one
but your greed sears their flesh
the book of dying 1:2…
children died first with death’s arrival
ignored by men who fought wars
wars for gold measure of status
a world status nothing but vapor
possessed…
invaded soul
social judgments seep within
such silent entry
you do not know who you are
where you begin and they end
refugee’s journey to freedom…
he said
death ain’t
that
bad
but
dying was
quite
complicated
found myself
and
family
in one of those
no man lands
between
two nations
we had left horror
only
to find
that
horror
had followed
our footsteps
winter’s frigid hands
took
our first child
while
the second died
of
that new virus
well
that’s what we
suspected
since
no one
was testing
nor
for that matter
considering us
suppose
it didn’t help
that she
hadn’t eaten
much that last week
my wife
the elders said
died
of a broken heart
such things
are hard to prove
but
having such losses
and
being seen
as
subhuman
may add
some validity
to
their belief
as for me
i drowned
crossing the border
my body
was swept
out to sea
no need
for a burial
in
another
unmarked grave
so you see
being dead
ain’t
all that bad
but
dying
well
that was
complicated
