the accounting

when the wolves and sheep are counted

when the scales are finally balanced

when justice can see

when the clarion sounds

& the good men come forth

where will you be

when the times of camels & needles eyes

is upon us like a coat in

winter will you be with us

or constricted by the sins of your father

your own sins the smell of insatiable greed

eyes closed deaf to the sound of children

forest oceans dying

when it all falls down

& it will

where will you be

when the false cover of innocence

is obliterated & we are naked with

what we did & did not do

what we let transpire in our name

what we pushed against profited from let occur

did not stop lived with considered collateral

when the price is extracted for standing

by when both innocence & ignorance are

not recognized as a defense for

bloodied hands where will you be

when you understand some stains

can’t be removed

where are you

now while the air trembles

with purpose

choose

life or death

choose

we are interconnected bound

by blood twisted like coils of DNA

we are one as surely

as there is only one sky

what happens to one will

fall like plague upon all

dig one hole

dig two

the second for you

where will you be

when right prevails

& it will

where will you be

when the cups are righted

the books are done

& the cost demanded

for what you have wrought

with the breath in your lungs

when the prayer enacted by

your hands has a life of its own

where will you be?

About Ayodele Nzinga, MFA, PhD

I create; therefore I am.
This entry was posted in Uncategorized. Bookmark the permalink.

Leave a Reply