Unearthed

Down the street
Dogs barking
In my own home the musky smell of
My wife and daughter between
And their breaths steady in and
Out in chorus told me
They had deep dreams
I dreamt with them, yet
I wanted to get up and
Pee but was nailed down by
My tired bones from all day
Building mud houses
By waiting I would wake
Early to find the creek
Have tea and go back to work
Other families down
The road, quiet in their homes,
I soon after drew just as mute.

I woke up again and thought
It was the grumbling of
My bladder urging
No, it was
The roaring and shaking land
Of walls and ceilings smashing
Against a honeyed earth
I found the roof all around
Us
In our bed with us
The dark thick
And air concrete.

My wife and daughter and I held our breaths for eternity
We must have been having the same strange dream of Shiva.

Neighbors hunched from lifting our earthen shawl Having the sun on us
We were admired for
How peaceful we looked
Someone took our picture
And got paid for it by TIME
We were taken to a pyre
And piled with our neighbors
Our mound of flesh set on fire
My daughter's eyes opened
As if disturbed by
Some nightmare. Close your eyes and sleep, sleep if you can
So you won't see
Our burning bodies.