At this point even the small connections,
feel like a ‘well done’ and pat on the head,
after your head has been ripped clean off.
But it’s nice, given what could have been instead.
So is it okay if I say, “I love you,”
with a hole blown through my chest?
It’s a mess, and I tried my best,
to scrape up the thumping pieces.
You can sit with me, hand in hand, while we,
throw meat at the crows to eat. See?
Not as romantic as what I offered before,
but it’s all that’s left during this time of war.
Charl Landsberg is a South African poet, writer, musician, and artist.