of wolves and sheep

two men at the water.

you've all heard the puzzle, right?

you have three wolves and three sheep

and you need to cross a river.

(any river. let's call it—

oh, i don't know. the baptismal

jordan.)

okay, so it's a little different.

one sheep who doesn't follow the crowd

and one wolf in the skin of his dead brother.

it still works, doesn't it?

(especially if they're in love.

let's say they're in love,

just for the sake of it.

let's let them be in love.)

if the sheep leaves the wolf behind

it's only because he was chasing the sun.

let's not blame him for chasing

the sun. let's make a terrible joke

about another son, and a father,

and a fire/sacrifice.

(let's put the sheep on the altar

and see how we can bleed him

for the machinations of another.)

let's give the wolf some big sad eyes

and a failed career

and a bad relationship with his family.

let's give him a longing

for teeth and blood but let's make him

only long for his own.

(let's string him up and get him to dance

for us. let's point and look and laugh

at the stupid little apex predator

cowering at the world.)

where were we?

oh, right. baptism.

well, that's an easy one, isn't it?

call up the sun,

and burn it—

burn it? are you sure?

yes. he's sure. so we're sure,

aren't we?

(but isn't that a rebirth?

can you baptise a phoenix?)

(no. but isn't it world class

entertainment to watch the flames

turn to ash

right beside the water?)

January 2022