draw down the pink light of the evening
there’s a substance that the toxins want to claim and have
you know they put solutions straight into the bloodstream
before we knew I felt the silence fall

hold a silence in your hand or fight it
it felt like spring out on the decimated lawn
next thing you know they’ll be announcing more decisions
infusing everywhere like spring into the trees

the changes gather in the bloodstream and move out from there
the people gather shouting at the airports or are stuck there
the people gather somewhere or die trying
this is neither metaphorical nor new

the neighbors put some rocks across their private driveway
in the trees the twigs at least can still cascade
there was a voice saying that men are animals
I felt that in the trees the twigs would soon explode

it’s one thing to know what was always in the bloodstream
I said I needed to be able to blame someone exactly
the pink light gathering beyond the screen, the porch, the frame
repository for the times you said—and meant—“I hate”