battle anthem

there is all this to do
at the start
who am I
who am I not
who might I be
for you with you to you after you
where does the line of the I stand firm
and where does it topple over
to stretch to something wider
and when does a stretch mean a break?

(threaded bare
tears streaming down the sides
bring the pain
bring the pleasure
two's company
THREE's company
I'm ready for anything
prepared for nothing
you'll have to take me as I am
take me
take)

"until there's one you can't ignore"

what is wanted here?
what do any of us truly want that we can even name?
acronyms to infinity
cut to the chase
dial it back
double check
before you send
there are no promises to make

(There was never time. That was always the reason offered. Never time for old and new.  But now there seems to be. Now there's time and now you do. There wasn't time for me and you. You must have been done long before I knew.  And there I was still trying. Still holding on after you were through.)

"you are a warrior, so stop your worrying."

I fear I am too ready.
Noticing too much
Accepting too little
from clashing, crashing voices.
Entertaining a shore full of crabs
at the edge of a shallow pool
where I and so many have stood before,
where so much overlaps.

(So what I understand is... you're meant to busy yourself with fulfilling things until someone comes along that you value so much that you're willing to set aside some of those fulfilling things to make room for them... and then you try to fulfill each other for a few years and at times you succeed and at times you fail and eventually you resent them for the space you lack for other fulfilling things.  Do I have that right?)

"what I want, I feel, is some rough kindness."

let's just say yes
let's just run amok-
see if we're still laughing
after a few cold months.