last moments

when the dog lays down to die

and master yanks the chain—
when gazelles let tigers land
one last mourning stare behind

ten thousand years ago we stood
fierce fight and fire in our eyes
for those we’d lost, for those at home
bring down the beast and bury warriors in the field
but now—but now—some one will say
“i can’t go on” and mean it:
for what’s the point, who even cares?

when the yowling cat gets quiet
under vultures circling there
when the elephant takes his knees
and hyenas circling dare—

12/02/23