Microaggressions

Street scene:

my eyes unmet,
their hands drifting
onto wallets, their bags 
pulled in tight to
their guarded bodies.

Office observed:

stumble, whisper,
awkward pause,
sudden stop,
change in subject,
question without thought,
thought without question.

Media, in media res:

what does a story say
about what a blog says
about what a blog says
about what was said
about what was said
about what was said
about how they died?

Surrounded,
sundered,
smothered, 
simmering, 
smoldering — 

Now this? No.
Not here, I beg,
not with you too —
not you too;
do you understand

that I am far beyond ready
to burn my home? That
if I have to ignite
the here and now
to reach the future,

I will?