Around the corner

the concrete ought scream
if the blood was able to speak
like Abel’s in the garden
it would testify against the alley
& near the laundry mat
would tell you of vendettas
frozen time
like bags of chicken
& Audi’s french toast sticks
When the reporters & cameras
pack their vans
and we are left to pick up the pieces
beg time to undo the crosses we bury
in unspoken glances over hurried meals

they don’t give you much time for funerals

he went to work 3 weeks after
his only son was shot
right around the corner
from the store front
that forever speaks to him
says hello every morning & keeps him up late
sweating through sheets
vomiting & contemplating giving in

you can’t untake time
can’t go back to before
nothing last forever
but 16 years isn’t enough
and they don’t hear the sirens
like he does
don’t know how wicked the world truly is
tragedy creeps
and devours the silence inside you

another bottle of brown liquor
another bag of weed
staying together long enough
to figure out how to get away blameless
arguments about nothing
the Pastor left 4 voice mail messages
and the radio plays too loud
the tent is too dark on the windows
but stop staring at him
stop asking how he is doing
how would you
explain to God
everything he is doing is wrong
and you don’t forgive him
for letting the devil play tick tac toe
and leaving your life in shambles

how long do you keep unopened Christmas gifts
where do you hide these pictures
how many times do you skip Thanksgiving
or strangle your windows
with black curtains on Halloween?

God help us
left alone
in the shadows

wishing gravestones would crumble
and the house would stop smelling
like before breakfast
and Friday nights didn’t
beg for money to go to the game
and praying someone would
take this box of Jordans to the Goodwill…