STEPHEN BERG
he picked up the receiver
he said hello
he moved a letter on his desk
he heard her say and not say
he asked he asked again
he knew her words weren’t the real words
he joked
he had that old wish for God a signpost
he needed it but it was all weakness
he even heard a biblical sigh wisdom icons
he could feel the storm of pain approaching
he asked anyhow
he heard the other one’s grieving facts
he could do nothing except talk
he advised he soothed he did all that
he listened
he heard every syllable there was
he thought troops were marching upstairs in a house in a fallen
country
he heard birds at the same time
he understood there could be birds and desolation
he knew this was a lesson he resisted always
he blessed the victims of bad luck
he blessed the victims of good luck
he wanted to tear out someone’s eyes someone who deserved all that
happens