patriot discusses his craft at wartime
asylum song
say the most intricate design of her
voice
with the solid breeze of
a whisper
is a natural masterpiece
a man i don’t recognize
say she is the beginning, its end
catches
say her geography is a diamond scare
then demolishes
her face, the fresh soil
my gaze.
heartbeat, the map
he is the beginning.
say she is the harvest
a dozen stony
mouths
say the flag pumps into her
address my
slow retreat:
like the moon
a
universe of black.
say nothing at all,
morning:
the silent pleasure
two men coughing up the taste they
took
of duty.
abbreviated manual on how to keep a
human heart intact
step 1
practice cowardice—following
the instinct to beat around bushes;
discussing the weather and no more;
ignoring the elephant suspended between
you and the person who agrees that yes,
it's much too cold for this time of
year.
step 2
occasionally administer what translates
to a doggie treat, a caress under the
ribcage—cheerios, aspirin, physical
humor, cycling.
step 3
mistake potential suitors—despite build,
wit, or sparkling repute—for nightmares;
follow suit for pets, their life spans
like lightning, like breeze.
step 4
seek intimacy. then, confuse casual
banter with intimacy.
step 5
masturbate.
step 6
stock your shelves with: light tales and
warm endings; sweet histories of the
world that replace conflict with
snapdragons; oversized picture books.
step 7
think of the foul locations courage has
led your predecessors:
underground, exile; anywhere, cracked
into unmendable parts; small
inconsolable apartments.
zakia
henderson-brown is a community organizer
in Brooklyn, NY. She is a fellow of the