I dreamt I was in a fight
and woke up
from a deep sleep
stitchless,
in an excruciating fire,
tortured by a burning,
a hellacious tingling.

And when I went to
soothe this itch,
I reached down & found
half of me wasn't there.
It took my breath away.

And as I lay there,
I wondered
if anyone really cared
about such pain,
such sacrifice,
this price I had to pay
for politics.

The only sound I heard
was my heart beating
in my throat
and some burnt guy
lying in a bed
right next to me
without
his face
crying.

Probably
like me,
he wanted to die.