Character

The character
Of the Lily flower
Is whole

Until
The petals fall
Like white handkerchiefs
To the floor

There is a body
Made of length of seed
Belted together
By brotherhood

How long?
Before they brown and shrink
How long?
Before they separate
Into the wind
As new characters

Little sparrows

In the cupboard
Under the sink
A clutch
Of sparrows
Are hiding

Stay there
Little things
Until the bombers
Pass over

With your wars

With your wars
We’ve harmed more
Than ourselves

With your wars

Y our

Wars

Little sparrows
Turned inti flame
Beetles underground
Cooked raw

Burning oaks
Extinguished cabbage whites

Tiny
so tiny

in the exhaust trail
of mighty Apollo
birds/erased
bees/erased
moths/erased

angels on fire