hesitate.  don't touch.
ahh, the silence burns my fingertips
scalds my tongue.
close your mouth.
in blood, in blood,
in.  side.  out.
i want to need to have to
touch you it burns.
it aches not to 
stretch.  keeping score
braiding wires bleeding 
screeching tires gunshot.
gunshot.  the worst sound
in the world.  no.
it is the silence deadness
vacuum after the sounding.
after the explosion.
and the bombs and pitted
dirt.  shells exploding.  i crawl.
back into.  spiralling, deeper.
into the quiet.
the quiet child in the heart 
of the spiral shell.

		-Kelly J. Cooper, 10/15/92
		All rights reserved