musée

we kill each other then we update our charts
watch our stocks tumble deep into the red
paw around, vengeful
clamor to short, to break bloody even

we kill each other, thumb lazily through the chapters our books share
find we all agree too strongly on 'home;' it simply cannot stand
so we put bombs in a few playpens
roll grenades into particular cul-de-sacs

we kill each other, slowly sometimes
make our rulebooks into beartraps that snare bodies behind chain link fencing
clear our throats and spit
toe around in the dirt to busy ourselves while we wait

we kill each other and shrug
S.W.A.T. our worries away - today,  there are more pressing matters
but still hinge at the waist when the killing comes for us
bullets peppering paper mâchéd hallways

dumbfounded
at the furrowed brows
our neighbors' pursed lips
the sight of our own reflection

written following the publication of the chart below, New York Times, Oct-08-23
written following the death of thousands of people
written following the death of the first of thousands of people
written following the death of the latest of thousands of people