General

Poem of the day. Nick Flynn

Redazione Italia, May 09, 2016



Emptying Town



Each fall this town
empties, leaving me
drained, standing on the dock, waving
bye-
bye, the white handkerchief
stuck in my throat. You know
the way Jesus


rips open his shirt
to
show us his heart, all flaming & thorny,
the way he points to
it. I am afraid
the way I miss you


will be this obvious. I
have


a friend who everyone
warns me
is dangerous, he hides
bloody images of Jesus around
my house


for me to find when I
come home – Jesus
behind the cupboard door, Jesus tucked


into the mirror. He wants
to save me
but we disagree from what. My version of hell
is
someone ripping open his
shirt & saying


look what I did for
you
.