"Stormy Nights into the Sunlight"

Sitting back facing the overlapping of nights
thunderstorms rolling through
the city slumping down with the beating of rain

claustrophobic thoughts and walls pleading
for help from dreams rattling the windowpanes

all of us wrapping hands around and over
our heads and eyes snap-sparking
with lightning spotlighting fear burning

this earth a great ball of burnt dirt
with centuries of babies crying
and all the old skin shriveling into bones

we cry inwardly into heart knots
ready to burst

the full moon parting valleys of mountains under compacted clouds
heavy with the silk of cotton
wet weighing

everyone tasting the salt of dying
men and women holding their children

slapping hard your own face
realizing we have sinned more
than we have ever thought

wiggling your bare feet and trying to laugh
it all off into the grave

but you can't
fool yourself

our bare hearts
in our beds at night

weeping till we pray the lasting prayers
of cold tears that cleanse
all the hot tears of sin.