ACHE

someone else  
lived in his skin  
back when time was cheap as money  
and there was only love  
and war  
and all the blood ran hot  
and all the days spun out  
across the years  
as though endless  
until there was only a pittance  
left for the old man  
draped across his bones  

listen...  
 
the body remembers  
every insolent slap  
to heart and liver and lung,  
every careless abuse  
of eye and knee  
and not an inch of  
tired flesh  
gives a damn  
what you say,  
rise in the the morning  
and you will know  
that nothing is forgiven  
 
apologies are not accepted  
 
and karma, friends,  
is one cold bitch