Tattoo
Years ago
When it all began
He got a tattoo
On his hip
Like Jacob
He wrestled
With God
As I do now,
For different reasons.
My cause is not
Autonomous
Anti-Sovereignty.
It is the loss
That I question
The 22-year
Combat
On behalf of
In support of him.
We
Marched
Against
The gates of hell
His battle
Every day.
I miss the fight
I miss the cost
I miss my son.
My tattoo
Is re-inked
Every day.
Python
It takes a ‘minute’
To catch my breathe
To regain
What people call
‘Normal’
Which doesn’t exist
But I try
To live
As best I can
With people
Who see
But do not know
That the python
Gathers itself
Slowly
Squeezing
The air
From my lungs
As I try to breath
Every minute
To sustain.
There
It
Happened
Again
The usual:
After class
I picked up
The phone
To dial
His number.
Unconsciously
I assume, he
Will pick up.
But then
Consciously
I remember
He’s
Not
There.