lord

by paul harrison

the ashes
are
in
my mouth

and they
are in
my
hand

the ashes
are
grey
and black

they are
falling
to heaven
covering
all

grey and black

lord
the walking ashes
imagine
they are living

lord
the ashes
are
in
a pile

my mind
a furnace

lord
this world
is
made of ashes

we burn
and drown
in ashes

return to
ashes

lord
the ashes
do
not
understand

(after f a nettelbeck)