the victims are guilty does not lessen the crime
they are not there he says they more than once
a nation is human what have you apart from what’s human?
is a woman not human? is an army then whole?
is a terrorist human? a multitude part of a race
massed inside an identity? is the victim a child?
I say child more than once am I guilty?
we are new I and you parse from the grammar of resentment
the plurals of outlook in case
we are not given to be masters and slaves
we are not given to be slivers and mirrors
the bad luck or good luck of lodging in each other’s nails
but are had and had from nothing sevenly
choice does not lessen the crime your servant your client your nato
your tone these all are identifiable
your enemy your Gog your Magog and your audiences
to your democracy are they human
your raptors your rapture America?
because he said they more than once meaning weapons
without bluffing they meaning people
ever after able
to explode themselves
say like certain poets can and in photographs expressive hands
where what is empty and what still accuses
(June, 2004)
