the broken, and certain cycles

a broken fist
a gash about the jaw-
nothing hurts as much
as the war taking place
in the head

the criminal tongues
taking away
peace of mind-
conducting
trials for the
next chemical introduced
to the writhing masses
as an experiment
in flame-
conjured in words
that have a tendency
to kill

it's not the bodily harm
as much as it's
the mental anguish
we impart upon
one another
for fortune and
gain
at the cost of
everything we
hope to believe in

so many wrongs
done to so many
people
at the expense of
innocence

and

we toss it away
as if it were
nothing at all

as if innocence
were a crime
steeped in
ignorance

only fools believe
in integrity

and

truth

and

justice done
for the sake of
the future
of
justice

how many children
learn to beat mothers
from fathers
beating mothers
in front of
children
?

how many children
grow up to drink
away the fathers
memory
of the mothers who
stood by
drunk fathers
?

how many children
take the beatings
of future fathers
because of
past fathers
who beat
and battered
in front
of the innocence
of children
?

a snake biting its own tail
savagely repeating
history
in smoke and mirrors
all to come up and
be done again
and again
until the
end
of time

amen.