play your part

the crosses she wears
to let you know
she’s not there

the electricity and sky
making everything stand up
hands inside sleeves

she’s somewhere
not coming back

so run
in place
some place
her place
all the way across state lines
to let them know you’re for real
we can’t buy time
when time’s not money
when money’s late
and you push
and pull
and it’s actually you who’s being
pushed
and pulled
slow roasted
turned
and shown something of what is left

i need so many things
i need them to need me
and i crouch under the earth
to get a better look at the sky

RIHA, Zhaojue, Sichuan, China, from the series The Yi People (2002)