All New

All new, all new,
everyone saying it’s
all new. 

All new, all new,
except for those 
who already knew

that this everything new
is not quite nothing new,
just close enough: old ghoul

in a new outfit, old gun
in a new hand. Some see
that face and say, we’ve never

seen that before; those
who know every line of it
find it hard not to laugh,

voices somewhere between
choked croak and open scream,
eyes closed in memory of those

who didn’t survive it
when it burned through town
last century, or yesterday, or

five minutes ago. All knew
someone, all know
it’s nothing new at all.

If what little is new here brings others
to the front, all well and good — 
if they stay. If when they’re safe

they go away? Nothing new
there, nothing new. When they go
those they leave turn and say,

nothing new there, nothing new –
and as always, we knew.
We all knew.