i saw a man die

when i think of this body as a burial ground

does that mean i am a burial ground?

i beg the question

the question begs me back.

sometimes as i lay in bed i wonder

if this man i knew would still be alive

if he did not touch that child, those children, me.

sometimes when i kneel to not pray

i wonder if my mother will ever find her way back to me

if i will dare to visit home, or home will dare to visit me.

sometimes i wonder if i would have said yes to the woman

the lady who laid hands on me

if she had asked me nicely.

my answers to all these questions are

yes, maybe and amen.