8888888888888888If there won’t be dancing at the revolution I’m not coming—E.G.

88888888888888888888888888888888Such chances arise, and they alter and direct a                                                                 8888888888888888888888888888888888888888man’s whole life—L.T. “After the Dance”

 

Yes, he is a pacifist, but does he believe

88888888in dancing? I don’t know

88888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888if I could love a man

8888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888opposed to both war and dancing.

Would I choose a man, like my other

88888888men with their hands on the trigger,

88888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888bracing themselves for the end of the line

888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888dance, over this man

with empty hands with open

8888888888888888hands? Not a word

88888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888to say about dancing, except that once

888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888while drunk, he watched a soldier

beat a man to death. With nothing

88888888but his hands. And he still remembers

88888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888how the flies circled the body. The mass

8888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888of blood, after the dance.

 

***

 

Abigail Carl-Klassen’s work has appeared in Cimarron Review, Guernica, Post Road and Huizache, among others and is anthologized inNew Border Voices, Goodbye Mexico and Outrage: A Protest Anthology for Injustice in a 9/11 World. She was nominated for a Pushcart Prize in 2014 and Best New Poets 2015.