A Sprawl of Cemeteries
Blood for blood is in our bones
the bass line of a perpetual requiem
Justice says carpe diem
to sooth the killed. As expected
the living hoot and gloat, or wail
asking Why did it have to be him?
Why other arrangements
have not been made
in the leaves of good books
so that blood and honor are not wound
as they are in the syntax and squalls
of scripture and the cyclones
of our double helix is anybody’s guess
Why is left to be mulled
by simple folk who think that
death for death yields no more
than a sprawl of cemeteries
by Jim Culleny, 5/2/11