Differences

once, there was a boy
who learned to sing
who then learned not to sing

once, there was a boy
who heard another boy singing
then told him to stop

these are the same boy
this is every boy

another story: once, a boy
loved summer & so moved
to the sun

same story: once, a boy
ran from winter but could
not shake the dead trees

same story: once, a boy
stood in the woods
until he became it

same story: a boy is a tree

same story: my mother cries
whenever she sees a tree
//

Boy 1: We made love.
Boy 2: I was experimenting.

Boy 1: He loves me
Boy 2: He lives close

Boy 1: We have something between us.
Boy 2: He is warmest inside.

Boy 1: He’s clean.
Boy 2: I’m clean.

//

another story: last week a bird
flew into the window. He lived,

but he would not fly hours later
I did with a rock
what the lord would not.

same story: once, I taught
a bird a new flight, with a stone
I made stranger wings.

//

answer: I did not love him
answer: the curve of his shoulder at dusk
answer: It helps to lie
answer: like the iron in your veins gathering into a bullet
answer: the pale yellow of his teeth
answer: it was Thursday
answer: my blues turn red when they hit the air
answer: yes, you’re right

//

a night without questions
is a night where everything is a gun

//

Someone killed a black boy & got away with it
I am the murderer/the victim/the evidence

//

can say i’ve never had my heart broken
can’t say my heart doesn’t pump a broken formula

i have no equations for my new math
no addition for what in me multiplies

i was negative.
he was negative.
we made a positive thing.