The Wake

I knelt down next to him,
The knee of my pants quickly
Sucked up some of the blood.
I propped his head up on the
Railroad track.
The brown grass devoured
The blood like water, and
Suddenly the sun stood up
Accusing me.
The trail of his intestines
Slithered through the grass
And underneath the overturned car.
The two wheels facing me were
Still spinning.
I couldn’t tell if the sky was
Red or black.
Finally, the bright white of his
Eyes and the flies landing in the
Half of his face that remained
Attached to his skull made
My decision for me.
Carefully, I wrapped my belt
Around his neck and placed
My shoes onto his shoulders.
Dying through suffocation is
Supposed to be euphoric, like
Falling asleep. The
Clawing of his fingernails on
My jeans seemed to disagree.