the way a flock of black birds sets off in one large wave

if a black
flutter

of bullets
takes the universe
of my child / friend / neighbor
family

away

just lay my body
down in a field

let it waste
let only the birds

remember my body
and let my child’s name

be contained only
in their unreachable

flight

because no one
will deserve to say
his name, not one person,

as they did so
little
to keep him alive.