Let’s not pretend it’s easy to be free in love.

May 14

Really

how many frontlines

can this red thread bear

fore?

Each of our own

hands imprinted

with fathers’ scars,

mothers’ oil.

And even the great yews

glacial death until dawn

tumbling

knows less than us all

about our Christ,

Sings in her winter

Mary grail -

Who caught her tears then,

amethyst starling?

Who let arms discover

America and make war?

Who hired the gun, son?

I know your demons.

They dug this river,

channelled this blood.

You know my demons.

They borrowed your child

and sang Gabriel.

Let’s not pretend it’s easy to be free in love

Let’s not pretend your mother could have done better

Let’s not pretend your father deserves forgiveness

Let’s not pretend your silence meets time patiently

Sara Zaltash

And this is how we made peace with the afternoon.