DESCENDING
how do you tell her
without corrupting, corroding
about the bad men in the world
the bad things in the world
the danger of trust
without creating a cynic
how do you leave her
just a child
DESCENT TO CIVILIZATION
the tigers at the zoo
are trying to communicate
with me, the biggest male is making words
with footprints
pacing, pacing, pacing
and I can’t figure them out, spend hours
watching as they grow
frustrated, exhausted, pass out on rocks
and fall asleep, ear tips flicking away
invisible flies
still misunderstood