our gifts were frozen by the stars
as shards of ice hit our hearts
cartons of milk tossed in dumpsters
where slums of homeless men and women
seek shelter in the ghettos
schedule a day off
those stray cats are always the boss
sort of determined to get lost
you try to set a good example and fall short
feet first we landed on our paws
happy to be safe at last
we converse with your mangy dogs
lying in the center of dusty crossroads
all our travails are necessary
shall we set sail on another journey
or stay put and reflect for a minute
once the word has grabbed you
it takes hold of your mind and soul
you can no longer let it go
and now you must serve it
for it has shaken you to your bones
why do we make tones of loneliness
while slow people escape the fragile daylight
shine your flashlight on the pages
and see what emerges from the ink of the sages