Calculating

Calculating
the time it takes for
a damaged man to speak up.
The time it takes for
a crowd to flash into anger.
The time it takes for
ersatz, fantasized rockstars
to turn back to beginners
and humble themselves
before us,
to begin to fall back.

Calculating —
five days of thunder, ten of soaking rain;
days beyond number
of thirst and suffering, of
dancing clumsy on the edge
of a serrated knife;
days of heat inside your clothes
and fighting a crazed need to strip;
you fear the response from
hungry men, starved women
waiting to devour you, to shelter you
even as they take you in.

Calculating
the equation — you plus
others who feel the same,
who will die for the fire this time;
you divided by nothing except
bullets and sneers;
you subtracted only to be
added back as you are consumed
and multiplied into a million,
two million, ten million;
more.

How many days have you waited
for this?

How many days will you continue
to wait?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
onward,
T