Distal Stimulus by Kitty NessVultures hover over
naked bodies on stone slabs,
exposed and presented
for nature to reclaim.
The birds of prey
make dive after dive.
Exploding in a parable
of eternity, bite by bite.
Flesh gripped between beaks-
in the Zoroastrian city of the dead,
a dying religion sends home
its last few rotting remnants.
Surrounded by tall walls,
like the beliefs and truths
of its followers.
These are the sacred things:
You can not burn a body,
nor bury one in dirt
or send one off to sea,
or mummify, or freeze.
The spirit leaves
and birds come
to eat it away,
piece by piece.
10/07/2003 Posted on 10/08/2003 Copyright © 2025 Kitty Ness
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