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"Untitled" by Scott Cumming



They cannot reach every corner


Nor will they try


There is no single-minded hero


To figure the whole thing out


It’s feet to the fire


My core is lava


Mindlessly stepping through a minefield


In the snow


Living or dying equates to the same


A headline buried beneath crumbs and spilt milk


Beneath hopeless counting stats


And self-congratulatory pats on the back


Beneath fingers pointed seeking someone to blame


Beneath billions thrown around like pocket money


As yesterday’s news is burnt for a modicum of warmth


Beneath the AKs used for extreme show and tell


Beneath the grandstanding over crimes and corruptions


Flaunted like nudity behind frosted glass


To disappear should mean more


Than being a simple piece of local intrigue


To be discussed at the coffee machine


Prior to dissecting the latest sports scores


It is too much to ask for anyone’s sorrow or anger


At the way in which my blood will be drained


It’s too much to see through the deluge


And ask those circling their own drains


To come to my aid


Nobody’s looking


Not really


There are those who are worried sick


And those who’ve given in and grieve already


Others cluelessly cavort


Unlikely to find even a light switch


In the dark


The tears will dry out


The shock numb down


Sirens whizz by to save other lives


Chalk one up for the win column


Tell ourselves we’re doing something right


I perch in the dirt waiting to find out


If this dude’s a sadist or a masochist.

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