Obeying Heps

Hooves floored

hooves damp, hooves

beaten. Working hooves, dragging

labored hooves obeying for convenience

Convenient plastics, convenient ditches, convenient visions

of Jesus, but not the same man

I do not want to look at Him above me

There is something about the idea of Him

that harnesses hooves to the drum, trains—

no, not that—it is the administration of Him that took

my life away

Oh, Sweet Canon

they said, it is a whole new trip

if you come along (Is that not what they said?)

I do and return unfinished, shifting subjects

where the mouth should go

You think I am a lion or a tiger

that I could eat all of this?

I wonder what it would have been like—

the truth, the water, the trumpets—

But that was pressing into that, which was pressing

into that and that and please remove the strap

and hooves.