In the Bad Days
I am writing to you
from deep in the bad days,
hoping you will hear me
wherever you are,
far away
in a better time —
+
In a better time,
hoping you will hear me,
far away,
wherever you are:
I came upon a heron
late at night,
deep in these bad days.
+
Late tonight,
deep in our bad days,
he plucked a frog from the waterfilled ditch.
His eye
was black glass. I am writing
to you,
wherever you are
+
late in my bad days.
The frog’s neck
was broken,
so its legs dangled.
The heron eyed me
blackly
from the wet ditch.
I am writing to you
+
from deep in the black days.
The dead
dangled.
I watched from the sidewalk.
The heron’s glass eye
eyed me
in the streetlight’s glare.
Wherever you are
+
in a better time:
people were dying.
I am writing to tell you
people are dying.
Remember that
while you tie your shoes
to go for your walk
through the song-filled
night,
through the beautiful night
of another time.
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