This tired imagery
Of purity bled dry
Patriotism framed
Slicing through the gray
A chill hangs in the air
From this open window
We see a cold asphalt
A blue turned to ice
Sew my mouth shut
To keep the words from falling out
Cast the stones of silence
The irony of glory and red blood
Count the stars that shine
On fifty reasons
Why this sigh is more than just a breath
Holding the weight of the world
In conquered space
Cleared by the death in trying
Drape me
Hide me away
From this atrocity
Sew my mouth shut
To keep the words from falling
Onto the dead and hallowed ground