responde

responde

responde is god’s word-
people mistake it for man’s.

at five a.m. on a tuesday
we became responde.

the bus could’ve killed me--
that was responde.

the gun-grey silence of softened pavement
was responde.

one guy yelled,
that’s what you get for speeding.

we pushed the fender.
it didn’t resist.

there was a man driving to work
who didn’t stop.

we watched him fade into the mist,
sliding like a black alligator.

responde!
god only knows peace,

perfection.
never innocence--

the fist of time is not young.
i keep my silence, i say no responde.

god is not the one who must speak.