...She found Him
outside Their back door
barely a Man now become
always yesterdays dream of
manhoods power extinguished
within the sterile diffusion
of monochromatic
greens amidst moonless darks
and mirky self-serving rules of engagement
by a steady dry eye
become now
two thousand years
of endless tears
relentlessly wailing
down in the dirt
cursing in all Our ears
in the dark
beyond the darkness
where tears have long
ceased to be wet
pain turning to numbness
the Mother of Him
as far beyond the yard
as sound can be heard
loudly mourning the One
whose life gave Her soul
meaning fulfilled
in His smallest accomplishment
smallest efforts...
in just His smile
crumpled in the dirt
the eternal Boy playing
in the yard safe outside Her kitchen
tucking Him up tight
to Her breast heaving
body wracking sobs
without sense of time
Her hearts sun light
passing into pre-dawns
empty gray silence when We
emerge from hiding to come close
to Her downward gaze
evading Our eyes
straining to do
what Our arms
will not do
hugging instead
the knots in Our bellies
layering numbness within
the Heroes invincible shield
like layers of park bench Headlines against
the cold of Veteran Homelessness
Despair and Self-Destructiveness
when everyone is watching
against faltering
but no one sees into
invisible rage
staring sightlessly all seeing
at Our feet stretching into the
dawning suns lifeless shadow...