My throat clenched in on itself

like a snake—

and my whole body shook shook

I bit my lip, hugged the thin blanket

to my warm-blooded body,

and I

could                   (I tried.)

not

look away.           (I tried.)

The people around me, the silent

shapes in the night,

they sat, placid and smooth

the red spread out into the black sky,

and into my bones,

my cheeks rattled

like hollow green cans, like—

the empty multi-colored light

illuminated our tired faces,

awash with patriotism and regret

sorrow for our coal-dust deeds

and what we thought were golden ones—

I wanted so badly for it

to be the Old

Fourth

Of July,            (Red white blue)

but look at you, look at all of us

and feel the fireworks                 (we

in your fingers.                          cannot

We are all tightly coiled snakes

with red explosions                     look

in our bones.                           away.)