ahh christ

the horse bleeds like
something you almost
remember

stumbles away from the teeth
towards the light
and by the time you arrive
it’s all over

the throat vanished
the flies beginning to gather
the song all but
forgotten

the carnage rises up

swarms against your eyes like
one of your father’s stories
from viet nam

like your mother or
even better
your sister

how many years ago?

four at least
maybe five

left arm broken
two teeth gone and still
she wouldn’t call
the police

said she loved him

said she loved
the next one too and
the one after that and
the bruises were clouds in
an autumn sky

the sky was
a pack of dogs circling
the sun

was something you
never managed to forget
and then this horse dying
in the here and now and
all you can do is
watch

all you can do is wait

your life up to this point
the small frightened
dream you always
knew it would
be

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