Gift For The Flies:
The poor are the only ones
who know how to suck dry a bone,
how to leave not even the marrow
of the dead animal for God
to bring to its family in heaven.
Slavering over the bone,
with knives like torches,
ready for the grand opening-up
of the animal’s cave
and the hopeless suppression
of its red-rock blood which will fizzle
through the dark like a shiver.
When the lips of a person
are the only feature that can be made out,
we try and match them to a pair of eyes,
a hair color, a story. They could be anyone
we think. Under a blanket we used our nails
to lift. Cradling the cold in their arms like a young child.
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Alex Greenberg‘s poetry has been published or accepted for publication in: decomP, Spinning Jenny, Spittoon, Squalorly, The Louisville Review, The Cortland Review, Blast Furnace, Able Muse, among others. He was a four-time runner up in the Cape Farewell Poetry Competition, and came in 1st place in the Critical Pass Review Junior Poets Contest. He has been recognized by The Young Poets Society, Scholastic Arts and Writings Awards, and Foyle Young Poets.