Envision
an appreciation
of your impurities
exfoliated into an aura
rather than a facade
unbalanced on
secrets.

Unlike a lace gown
sewn to his eye's perfection and fragile to intrigued fingertips.

Separately framed from other self-portraits
displayed for onlookers to applaud the absent authenticity, and
for the egocentric to endorse their entitlement.

Beautiful
     (noun).
                  Uniquely embellished soul
     (adjective).
                  Not merely innocent
                  Not purely ******
                  Not fearful of the exotic
     (verb).
                  Facing the sun and forgetting
                  All analysis of the world around us,
                  Splashing each other with our reflections
                  In the puddles rippling the rainbow.

The world is unexploded,
but its waters are contaminated
with the chemicals of a war-plagued nation
which stain their tongues black and bleach their knuckles,
and combust into a strengthening desire for a legacy
of their homeland that now teeters.
Each belief grinds friction into the desert sand, refusing limitation.

Inevitable Invasion

No merciful maps or keys towards clarity were left
by their loyal armies;
nor were any heart-strong soldiers.
Through the forts of debris and shields of ash,
we could not find the killed or the injured,
only smell the salty decay of each victim.

He limped through the rippling mirage,
spitting eroding dirt and
flexing his bloodied weapons.
"I heard the victory anthem,"
he said.
"The enemies are dreaming."