Inquisition

Who hears the fishes when they cry? - Thoreau

a single terse tear

is it mine or is it your's

why does it only fall behind closed doors

whose cheek will it call home today

will it ever depart or is it here to stay

does it descend from fate's unmitigated ruler

or from a sanctimonious clown

perhaps a child at heart

like a plummeting star

why does it drop during this most unexpected time of life

this relentless barrage of feeling

this internal bombardment of strife

this battle led by drum and fife

the crooked finger of guilt points at you

was it ever really cried

how could it, when time dries

is it caught in perpetuity

or is it just a falling knife

Author's Note

"Decay and disease are often beautiful, like the pearly tear of the shellfish and the hectic glow of consumption." - Thoreau