Sweet Bruises

a human being is hard to kill.

the killing often takes 80 or more

years

and can involve

various instruments,

some sharp, all brutal.

the system of a bi-pedal body

is sturdy enough that any worthy attack

must occur on several fronts

in order to be

effective.

for teaching example, I offer myself.

something has been trying to kill

me for a long while. the potential

harbinger of my death started early,

with foolish accident as a primary

tool. this was not as successful

as hoped. some scarring occurred

and a permanent limp resulted

but the lungs push in, push out..

the heart beats.

the one who would reap victory

over what is physical,

then attempted to add metaphorical

heartbreak, first one, later many.

I assume heartbreak is chosen because

it is easy to accomplish by a number

of off-the-shelf methods and

it’s effect is cumulative,

the witness marks being nearly invisible.

a wielded rubber hose might

leave similar sweet bruises.

Finally,

my destroyer has offered me

a selection of ordinary stumbling

blocks, pills, finite heartbeats,

last calls,

but the handsome waiter

still smiles.

a human being is hard

to kill.