The Hangman's Beautiful Children

fishing for muses     here on the subway platform
for the hangman’s beautiful children
full of wheel sharp of ankle
loose of blouse strap long of boot
and in her hands
tissue paper origami crane

bright of clothing even if her clothing’s black
eye shadow with eye flash bright within it
sinuous deep animal stride
even in the routes of his fingertips
as they cross the keyboard of a laptop
screen depth of light that can shut off in an instant

o hangman     how you envy your children
how you’d reverse polarity so that they’d
be born as dead as you’ve made yourself
how you’d bind the leather of your heart
tightly over the flesh of theirs
how you’d sew it cold without sweating

	don’t you know
	that unbound hearts beat faster
	than yours does?

		don’t you know
		they know the games of flight
		that birds in love make?

from Yew Nork (2014)