july 1, 1966
inhabited
by the soul of a man i am barren and my life is a punishment.
inhabited
by a victim's soul every thought, every action, is an open window
or a door that does not close properly; i have no secrets because
i have nowhere to keep them.
inhabited
by a beggar's soul my living is a tear that has found a path
through closed eyelids, a tear that is quickly wiped away.
inhabited
by the soul of a bird watcher i have learned to survive on seeds
and the scraps tossed here and there by friendless hands.
inhabited
by a reclusive soul there is an ominous night throbbing in the
extremities of every day.
inhabited
by a blind and unlearned soul i have never recognized the
trembling of love.
inhabited
by the soul of a criminal i have earned a loveless wage.
inhabited
by the soul of a coward i have always known truth as a terrible
burden
inhabited
by a soul that will not speak a lifetime is a question of dying
answered incorrectly.
vv
tacit
w throb
w chapel
from Evidence
, excerpt in Young Bloods (stories from Exile,
1972-2001)
© Mike Schertzer, 2001