Human Ordinance For Peace
       

Tremendous planes whispered us
into skies the color of distracted rain.
They unloaded us over rivers
where we frightened the rare Asian dolphin.
Precision-guided targeting shot us into cities
where we caught people on fire,
ruined tanks and unroofed each ancient mosque.
If bombs were people, would we use fewer of them?
Post-explosion, our reassembly was a matter
of collection, of magnetic identifiers
and fitting the pieces together in a certain way.
Priestly glue forgave us our enthusiasms.
They placed our hearts next to our lungs.
Zippered us into our skin. When they nicked
our lips, blood tattooed our chins.

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Copyright © 2021 John Whalen All rights reserved
from Rock & Sling
Reprinted by Verse Daily® with permission