Expediency

Do you see the caveat in his eyes?
I don’t and thus I sit beside
And watch him drown
His things in the river

See how that rivulet goes forth!
See how it cuts through the rocks
Abandoning all it once belonged to
How much courage would it have taken?

His hands work wildly
Till his fingers can only
Flay through the dirt
And then pause at my shoulder

There is that caveat again
His eyes betray him
I see it now
You should stay away

Partings

If the two young men
Who sit and stare silently
At each other’s meal
Their eyes still and hesitant
Their lips parted and unsure

If all they share
Are wry smiles and meaningful nods

Then the two old men
Will recognize each other
And smile and nod alike

Inoculation

At the behest
Of a few wise men
Our air and light
Now pass through a sieve
That took eons to perfect

They dwelt on each opening
On each crevice’s use
Altering their shape and size
And monitoring my each word
As I devoured all that slipped through

Now they treat me well
For I am still of use to them
Each day, many come to see
The result of initial imperfections
And feel grateful to the wise men

A Hunger Artist

Amid cheers and taunts
Of oblivious onlookers
The hunger artist honed
An obsolete craft

They all waited, but soon
Tired of waiting
Urged him to speak
And voice his cares

He – having nothing to declare
No grudge or whim to propagate
Stayed silent and watched
The voyeurs drift away
Leaving behind an elderly man

“On which day are you, my son”
“Thirty six sir, with sufficient strength left”

The old man sighed and sat before his cage
Together they waited for the voyeurs
Until they crossed the fortieth
And then walked away