Ashes, Ashes

Whether you are eating well
or poorly; whether you are well-housed
or ill-kept by your gods; happy in wealth
or broken by poverty before all — 

you stand, wherever you find yourself,
on the backs of monsters
who made this world. Yes,
there were good people too

but not as many as you would like
to count. There will be monsters
forever in spite of hope.This is
a world you do not need to believe in

to have it be true. (Ashes 
flood your mouth at that thought.)
Your children might be among the monsters
in spite of your hope.

(Ashes in the water, in your bread,
in the air.) Maybe your find your own generosity
is monstrous to you? Nonsense. Fill your plate.
Tomorrow is promised. Bastards 

and saints alike will thrive and clouds of ashes
will rise forever from their footsteps as you do
your best, watching it all from the backs
of the monsters you have ridden to get here.