Sieving Grief

A fluttering puddle on concrete

We draw closer, the pigeon's eyes roll

tucked into its neck

trapped alive

We gawk, grotesque, strolling past

clean streets of Madrid- no dog mess

The street cleaners will euthanize it

Breathe a little

Faint vibrations tingle in your core

It'll open w o u n d s

the one sutured shut

buried, in meaty healed over cells, f l e s h tone

It’ll sting, dull tarnished blade

black blood pools, brim of pain

saturating

in burn

flows to the rest of you

It’ll simmer, hiss, well up, up, up

surf the waves, ocean-you, whale watching

Relief flows in fire w a t e r

pleading, b r e a k s, crashing through sockets

Let them.

Someone cups their palms for a sip

the weight squared

on your shoulders

no.

You choose to drink solo, together

fingers grip bedsheets, knuckles whiten

H o l d i n g

I stare past into hazy sunlight

after the thundering rain