he’s cremating his father tonight
the flames flare in hungry desire
the body lies on an old canvas stretcher
in the distance the dark river flows
piles of wood wait, silent patient
for him to be lovingly laid
already the body glows
the once human shape has changed
flesh melts
the body now only a red outline
an abstraction within the flames

only ashes
will see
the sunrise
now there is nothing but bones
they crack and explode in the fire
just an outline just an outline is there
the flames take all that is human
a man who
talked loved existed
is nothing is nothing at all
only smoke curling up in the air
the son cracks open the skull
releasing the spirit the soul
now little lies there in the embers
but look here on the stretcher
the imprint of the man remains

he’s cremating his father tonight
the first light of dawn softly breaks
strange ghostly figures appear
the homeless the nameless the jobless
are drying their clothes by his fire
some of the smoke of his flesh
lives on in the rags of the poor