Bleeding Out

New poem.

The symptoms
of exsanguination
colloquially known as “bleeding out”
include

anxiety
blue lips and fingernails

unofficially sanctioned neighborhood demarcations
flimsy justifications of hair trigger rage

low or no urine output
profuse sweating

a profound distrust of received wisdom
easy to believe conspiracies and backroom handshakes

shallow breathing
dizziness

imprisonment
educational poverty

confusion
chest pain

the elevation of cultural assimilation
to sacramental status

loss of consciousness
low blood pressure

carnival barkers on the news
a camera on every corner

rapid heart rate
weak pulse

death upon death
upon no longer unexpected death

the echoes
of centuries of trickle and drip

turning into a flood
of names to remember

a cloven nation
drenched in blood
that should never have seen
the light of day