A soldier tells a story about a father beating
his son in the street. He asked the father, why?
Because my son threw stones at your truck.
hole of broken teeth
he will answer
a car accident/
face to
dashboard, a peeling
stripe of chest
collapsing red into
lines/ solemn for
contention
a stone’s throw
away/ the son
holds onto jido’s
a tree begins
with a seed
to hold him or,
cradle to relief
before he clenches
down to
fractured canines
ground into bubble
gum arabic
how he licks the dust
the same
in a stopped car/
unsure whether teeth
or debris
how the ███
ground his mouth
to sand, commanding
defense or chewing on
regret/ to repent,
stillness
as if ease