Bare-Chested Brave
To flee from the heavenly blight
of angelic certitude is one aspect of this death.
You are no angel.
You are barely human.
Let me show you how.
This is how you tell your mother
your heart breaks every time you look at her.
This is how you tell your lover:
YES.
I want to love you anew in the bright dawn of this time.
This is how you tuck your children into bed knowing they will leave you
as you have already left yourself.
This is how you let the slow joy of friendship surprise you
into remembering why you are here.
This is how you hold the hand of death
while dancing into the sunset.
This is how you let the lukewarm sea ooze over your body
and make you feel special and insignificant all at once.
This is how to beam through the dark heart of our times
while the slow spring flowers are changing under our noses.
In the wake of this history
all of the bare chested warriors have put down their weapons
and come home.
