Triage
       

          I throw a fistful of leeches
                    at the wound, and this is when
you remind me that we're beyond leeches.
Specifically, we are at the point
                    where we need to get our priorities right.

When we stroll through our empty house
          we realize that all we've ever done
is pretend to be human. We've cut the superfluous limbs
          and cauterized them to limit the bleeding.
We've repeated the behaviors
                    of our neighbors, our celebrities,
                                        those we call our friends—
                                                  our family.

You tell me I'v e lost the ability to copy and paste
                    the husks of others onto my person.
                              I've never been more scared in my life—
                              actually, I've never been scared until now.

Tweet
Copyright © 2015 Adam Crittenden All rights reserved
from Barn Owl Review
Reprinted by Verse Daily® with permission