AIDS ...
the great killer
I'd heard about IT... lots...and now...
I've seen it first hand
up close.
It didn't look like AIDS
whatever that is
whatever I supposed it would be.
It looked
like
a person hurting deeply,
a human being in pain
twisted with turmoil,
a person needing human touch,
a person
needing
a person.
I'm afraid of AIDS
I don't want to die
...not yet...
but
neither does he...
James
this person
this young man
this human being wracked with fear
and unreadiness for death.
this blue sweater person
broken down
by scares and tears
human hail and sleet,
headless demons that pawed and
snarled,
I never saw someone IN ISOLATION
QUARANTINED
until today...
societal bans in effect
insidious silent invisible bars
that walled his person
that walled his soul.
I could smell the ropes
taste the anguish
hear the muffled screaming
feel the cage.
standing beside AIDS
standing beside James
feeling afraid
I touched his arm
I drew him close
I pored myself
out
wanting to cover all of him
in soothing healing ointment
wanting
to reach his well
and release the bird
that is his flight
to earthly freedom.
I saw it today
first hand
up close
a man dying
from that great KILLER...
us.
the great killer
I'd heard about IT... lots...and now...
I've seen it first hand
up close.
It didn't look like AIDS
whatever that is
whatever I supposed it would be.
It looked
like
a person hurting deeply,
a human being in pain
twisted with turmoil,
a person needing human touch,
a person
needing
a person.
I'm afraid of AIDS
I don't want to die
...not yet...
but
neither does he...
James
this person
this young man
this human being wracked with fear
and unreadiness for death.
this blue sweater person
broken down
by scares and tears
human hail and sleet,
headless demons that pawed and
snarled,
I never saw someone IN ISOLATION
QUARANTINED
until today...
societal bans in effect
insidious silent invisible bars
that walled his person
that walled his soul.
I could smell the ropes
taste the anguish
hear the muffled screaming
feel the cage.
standing beside AIDS
standing beside James
feeling afraid
I touched his arm
I drew him close
I pored myself
out
wanting to cover all of him
in soothing healing ointment
wanting
to reach his well
and release the bird
that is his flight
to earthly freedom.
I saw it today
first hand
up close
a man dying
from that great KILLER...
us.
