yes

by spootasia tomoe

--

--

yes, crack the glass

watch it crash

in pieces

to the floor

like the intentions you signed on

married over

slept beside

gave blood for

--

yes, careen your shells

breaking like waves

against the illusions

shook on behind your backs

here’s your war

here’s your anger

there’s your fragmented peace

your yellowed smiles

I’ll wager

you’re wiser now

you won’t be bending over

for them again

--

yes, blazing now

you’re boiling in your skin

muscles coiling, singing

release

contract, expel your passion

focus bloodlust on their factions

they trapped you here

in their cavernous lies

their spies

spilt secrets that stole

the precious lives of friends

and comrades

ripped whole

into fragments

civilians in rags and

shambles of government

littering the streets

cutting their feet

that you’ve tried

for so long

to pave

--

no, you won’t be bowing again

ebbing from their borders

until the high tide is in

you will never bend

to your brothers and sisters

unless it is to pick up the shovel

to dig them their graves or

to grasp the pen

to sign the waiver

to let you renounce

your humanity

--

yes, war

yes, anger

you are ugly

I concede

take it from me now

I beg and I plead

only to you do I bend

like a reed in the wind

so I may uproot and

rape and maim and rend

so I may flow in and flow out

so I can kill without feeling any—

yes

yes,

I concede

and you win

you never lied

you are ugly