Amputation Transcript, a Redaction

Should I write down what I heard? A voice, the gasp

of a prosthetic knee. Grass taken into the mouths

                                                They have no clue

of two donkeys grazing behind

                                                what’s going on.

a fence; behind another, people screaming. No, not the right

word: jeering. The difference between fear and derision

thin as the blood-brain barrier.

Mortality displacement. That’s what he said, microphones

                                               You’re gonna die, bitch.

turned like flowers to the sunshine of his voice.

Balaam beat his donkey about its ears until it turned

to him and spoke: You have no clue, do you?

Straightens tie, turns from microphones

and coughs into fist, meaning: My soul is among lions;

I lie among the sons of men Who are set on fire,

Whose teeth are spears and arrows, And their tongue

                                               Eat it. Eat.

a sharp sword.

If I hadn’t heard your voice. Should I write down

what I heard? Wind in the cyclone

fence. An arrhythmia

of mortar fire. At 5 minutes 31 seconds

one still kicks at the wet, toothy faces. Fingers hooked

in the chain link. Sometimes I don’t know what they’re shouting.

                                               Those guys are looking around, breathing.

It may be another language.

Read the names, make a tally. A check box for missing

left leg, below knee

right leg, below knee

left leg, above knee

right leg, above knee

Look at the face on that one.

If you cracked open the carcass of this country, would honey

flow out?

A requisition form. The pallet of brown boxes,

taped, stamped:

Transfibial

Transfemoral

Transradial

Transhumeral

The roaring of the lion, The voice

of the fierce lion, And the teeth

of the young lions are broken. Or: “500

major amputations—toes and fingers

aren’t counted.” Do the math. Nine

lions. Two donkeys. One

doesn’t even run. I’ve never screamed

at anyone. Can you believe that?

Electrocuted in the shower (faulty wiring).

Electrocuted in a swimming pool (faulty wiring)

Sniper bullet entered behind left ear, exited

through mouth, severing

soft palate and tongue. All this time, the angel

of the lord standing

in our path with his sword raised

to strike. The general steps up

to the microphones and says: My heritage is to me like a lion in the forest;

                                                Damn,

It cries out against me;

                                                I was kinda hoping they’d die

Therefore I have hated it.

quicker.

What do people scream about, anyway?

Sometimes, you see,

what they do is they load down a donkey

with explosives, bags of broken glass, and point him

toward the nearest checkpoint.