i

When the sun seals my eyes the emblem
of failure will still be standing
motionless at this intersection
between family restaurant
and medical clinic
wearing his cardboard necklace lettered
H ARD LU CK

until his sister
the Fury of reparations
descends
curdling the air in whirlwind
tears it from his neck
picks him up and hurls on

ii

Try to rest now, says a voice.
Another: Give yourself time.
But rest is no act of will
and gifts to the self come back unopened
Milk will boil down in the iron pot
blistering into black sugar,
scalded vinegar lift
crispened layers
pages of codex
in a library blown away