569

my wife died a thousand years ago
when I was stationed in Peru
my breath was hot ashes
when I
oh when I heard the news
I became a tree a mourning leaf
by her tomb
until god gave me back my leaves
I returned to my son
but he had become an ox
in our time apart
pulled and pushed by a strange woman
with little mutts nipping
at his heels
he said I should stay a while
I look old
I don’t feel it
it’s just these branches finally
growing back their leaves

stand up straight eat right
I’m here again
for a little while
he was whipped to leave
to eat grass somewhere else
provide for his woman
so I stayed and reigned in the mutts
taught them to howl and sit

what does that do?
what sin is being grown in my soil?