Like birds they were
all r's and sharp edges
flutey air hissing in between syllables
The vernacular too alien for me
to detect any prelude to any great sadness
so when faces turned red
and tears fell from somewhere between
my mindless chore lulled by listening
I forgot myself,
I stared and stared
until one of them looked up
across at me
eyes full of animal pain
and I stunned
to being untigered.

07/14/2019

Posted on 07/15/2019
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