Poet Joshua Clover and 11 Students May Face Prison Time

Close the Ground
by ed foy

In a place where people learn to die
the intersection of car and bomb and building
becomes a math problem to be solved
and on the other side of the equal sign
is flesh smoke blood a hand in the gutter

Our night vision is perfect but our foresight is blind
knights in armor cavalry reminisce on chivalry
our terror lies in the need of the ist
need lies to plead with fist
in a place where people learn to die

In a place where people learn to die
a hospital here or there cold air
cold sheets covering faces of suicide kings
holding aces brand new places arranged
with flowers on our graves

A breath behind a curtain scoured
soured obscured and ended light bended
to our waiting in room nearby closed eyes
a neon sign or indication in implication
in a place where people learn to die

In a place where people learn to die
cold and shivering my body lies
puking pain from painkillers chills
fever few recover dreams recur over and over
a broken bone or long lost lover

staring still unstaring eyes
sold untold under starry skies
a shadow of a hymn a shattered prize
a lesson learnt and still despised
by those who think they’ve learned to live.