before
they were all growing beards
all the time growing beards

talk was fire and light
blamed the Jews for defects

energy was sealed in his body
Islam is the world outside

for all things unjust and
hateful and then the Americans

pairs of shoes set outside
jumpers wearing keys to paradise

each man becomes the other
the upper skies making sense

she had dark eyes and
floppy body that liked contact

his dreams seemed compressed
time at the mirror looking

was becoming one of them
look like them and think

prayed with them to be
were becoming total brothers

the fall
he appeared at the door
out of an ash storm
briefcase sat beside the table
said there was a shirt
down out of the sky
water on a dishcloth
and ash from his hands
there was more blood
it was not his blood
came from somebody else