play me the heartbeats
backward in grams,
kardio-electric.
spool your tingled nerves
around again, tighten
until you are young.

then we will breathe
when the sky is blue
reversing the green of
preemptive bomb blast.

watch the clouds dissolve.

the bullets fly back
with an inhale of smoke and
spark, the children never left,
our flags become furled,
unwrinkled, look at your skin.

we are home.
with the willow and
the garden, both
flowing away
so slowly, until the
blood in your lungs
runs hot over baby teeth
stains us here holy
and safe without
breach.