zumpoems

search and rescue

one thing I learned from the fire fighters was how to search and rescue
to comb the hills
looking, looking, looking
taking supplies so I won’t fall prey to the wilderness

My greyhound sits on this tabletop
iced down with no staw
the cigarette puffs out its short life
and I peer into the dark

i could use a flashlight
i could use you
i could use you using me

does anybody here need help?
is anyone lost?
is anyone searching?

will anyone here say hello?
is anyone still looking?
is anyone even sympathetic?

one thing I never learned from the fire fighters was how to ignore and
abandon
to forgive and forget
living life in the present
building a future that isn’t based on you.

-zumwalt (July 1990)