Pyropastoral
their voices overlap and drown out eachother
each speaking to the other but neither is listening
the noise rises and crescendoes
until she turns and runs
to the field filled with dandelions behind
the house.
he follows, still justifying and logicalizaing
but she hears only the blood
fast rushing in her ears
he sees the ground covered with flowers,
picks one and offers it as a ceasefire
but she sees only a handful of weeds
he can't hear her screaming because he
is screaming too
he can't see her wounds because his eyes
are closed
finished with reason, she pulls the matchbook from
her pocket,
lights them all at once and drops it
to the ground at her feet
she walks away as the field goes up in flames.
-MWE<
11 June 2001
