Leper's Field Notes

Walking through the woods

masked in the cloud

of burning bush

and empty shells

Twigs snap under

my boot

the pull of gravity

and the tight

grip of chilling

autumn

The sun slipped

through the treetops

like a shaven

leg slips

away from lepers

and their

lonely

languid tongues

I watched it go

with no despair

because I knew

it would come back

in the morning

at least

I thought so

Morning hasn’t come

yet the dictionary

professors

soldiers and sailors

have all said

I just

need

faith.