Hover
by A. A. Parr
for Raven Morose, 

You can’t stare directly 
at some things –
you have to see them by their edges, 
by the space they make, 
by what they touch, 
what they reach for.

I know that you reach,
that when you step off of the ground
there’s that moment
where in mid run,
you hover;

the moments between
being caged and
being uncaged – 
I won’t say free,
let’s settle for alive.

If weapons were the words of choice
your mute compliance was
an unloaded gun
forced into your own mouth
hoping they’d be sorry

hoping you’d never have to load it
never have to turn it on th...

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