Totem Poles

Totem Poles

Eleven
Polluted by our visions of fallen empires
Echoed through shattered glass
And the thought that flinging yourself from the top floor
Was a reasonable alternative.

And his yells are flustered by the highest decibel silence,
Her screams muffled by
The remaining desire to tell her kids she loves them
And the breakfast dishes she’d never clean.
Frenzy falls to tapestry
As the world paints assorted colours on the tips of flames
And watches the banner of the free world

-Burn-


Fire crackle
Incandescent blood speckle
&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp Highlights
And the sudden realization that

&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp today will be remembered

We watch on CNN
&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp (they plummet in real time)
and in-between satellite relays
&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp the world is painted with broken glass
scars etched by an itchy trigger
&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp finger
that knows to squeeze. Never pull.

Totem Poles of our fathers
&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp Built on the heads of tomorrow
&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp Forging ahead for today
And split by jet exhaust and a metallic nose
&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp That cuts like a knife through our patriotic flesh
Personified by the pain in her childish eyes
&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp And baby fingers
That hold onto her latest fleeting memory with the force of
&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp The hydraulics working a hundred feet away.

&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp Revenge

Is hypnotically intoxicating
&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp However far from reach

And our fingers move to press the little red button
&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp Firing vessels for our hatred
&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp at a place we couldn’t even find on the map.