four thousand years

Looking for warm skin
finding hot, burning, consuming freedom
shivering and shaking
naked on cool tile, laying
down in my soul
found a child, four
thousand
years old

I saw flowers in his eyes
moving, growing
bigger smaller

I found her
in mobile alabama
small body, huge heart, deep scars
it was a car wreck
she almost died

I laid my love down
laid it bare, stripped and screamed
tore it open
pulled out all the stuffing
busted every seam

empty head, tired heart
I walked the neutral ground of Esplanade
and drowned half the love I laid down
in flames
and embers turned to charcoal

naked
on cool tile
i laid down in my soul
and found a child
four thousand years old