Dream IV

have mercy nothing
prepared my body to lose its
brother nothing prepares a grown man to fall
not your brand-new cloak of im-
mortality not the dream
of stumbling feet first off
a vapor masquerading as a wall
every night my body gasps awake beneath
your ledge your almost
suicide how did you
know you could fly how will I
teach my lungs to breathe how
did you teach yourself to leave
so young you most
wandering stray middle child
lone boy own drum
boy bouncing free
as a red kickball in between
there was a burnt-down barn I’d
wanted to see back there beyond
the wetland trees behind
our house take me
show me how to do like you be you be you
I still see the threshold there
at the pine we broke
Jesus please
take these pills forever or don’t
hold something anything even me
brother
make me your tether