afterwards, afterwords

where are you

when you are

where you aren’t you

which includes here

in my arms

as you tell me

you haven’t felt like yourself

for a long time

like a tree with hard bark

that is hollow inside

a good home

a dead being

with dying beings

inside

*

like a snake slurping

on its own tail

i am not satisfied

with myself

and less satisfied with

myself as a result

*

hello people

you are all we got

make yourself worth

the inevitable goodbye

that creeps before the hello

and the people who invented

it for the after after