last_legs
raze she feeds the funnel
into her young
son's mouth,
and with it
water no well
has held.

he chokes down
the bitter brine
while she sucks
the sick from
his lungs with a
synthetic syringe.

all she's bought
is a bit of time.

though he lacks
the strength to stand,
the frail fruit of his
frame is somehow sweeter
for being bruised by
the spill he took when
he was only a soft seed
swimming upstream.
260119
what's it to you?
who go
blather
from