Paul walked home after happy hour.
He left his stumble inside his corner bar.
He practiced lying down
in the chalk outlines left by the police.
Inspiration told him this act
would give him empathy for the victim
and a sense of the burning pain
in muscles when a bullet passes through.
He also thought of it as practice
at rising from the dead—
a skill to be used at a future date
when it was his turn
to have unflattering portraits
snapped by the crime scene photographer.
copyright © 2022 Kenneth P. Gurney
Umflop 