Too Short for a Blog Post, Too Long for a Tweet 240

Here is an excerpt from a book I recently read, "The New Testament," by Jericho Brown.



Another Elegy 

Expect death. In every line, 

Death is a metaphor that stands 

For nothing, represents itself, 

No goods for sale. It enters 

Whether or not your house 

Is dirty. Whether or not 

You are clean, you arrive late 

Because you don’t believe her 

When, sobbing as usual, she 

Calls to say if you don’t stop 

Your brother, she will kill him 

This time. Why rush? By now, 

You think she likes it, his hands 

Slapping her seven shades of red. 

Besides, your brother is much 

Bigger than you—once you tried 

Pulling him off the woman he loves 

And lost a tooth. Expect to lose 

Again as you stand for nothing 

Over his body, witness 

Or reporter, murderer or kin.