Remembering Fire Ants and Child-thieving Arachnids

this is not so much a conflict of interest

as a conflict of interests

myself vs. myself

safety vs. safety

fear of the unknown

vs. fear

of the absolutely certain

becoming the unknown.

i am half

please

let me keep this

half

let go before i can't

let go

and in the early morning

long before the sun is waking up

when the stars are winding down and there is

silence

in the little town

we've settled in

the click of the door closing

sounds like a hand grenade

blowing the walls off of

my world

and the quiet that follows

is breath without meaning

conflict resolved

and it can't be too late.