in cemetery quietness
tombstones rap
epitaphs of those
they are paid to represent…
on the outside arena
of the living
there are many of those
wearing and boasting
tombstones of life:
tombstone-like
shiny clothes
in winter
worn thin by hunger
that infuses the bellies
of their children…
all carrying newspaper
blankets
for bus stop benches
and
above their heads
posted signs
reading: homeless…
others sit outside
hearse-like autos
with posted messages:
lost home last month
auto goes end of this month…
all are silently passed
each day
by rhythmically beating
tombstone-hearts
and eyes prone to invisibility...
be this as it is
and we as we are
(day or night)
life and death go on
oblivious
to the tombstones
of death and life alike…
(here lies…here lives)