A Choir Apart - Ryley Walker

Heads up for this joker

Hand on the heart

Pledge to a false flag

Shout from the Sundays

Hallelujahs condescending

The joy was showing

Praise in one ear

And out the other

You’d curse your own name

You’d curse your brother

How can a man sing

With the choir apart

My lips were moving

No soul or heart

Gifts of wine for me

A pass of hands for thee

Late on arrival

I wrote your name in a book

Traded in papers

I asked them all

Longing for someone to add my own name

Pens of fountain ink, written in feather

Acrylic on leather, birds claw untethered

My word is divine, I control the weather

Forget the long season

My path transcribed

The long handshake

Whisper from the midday

Perspective hushed

Tasking just for tips

Golden sings that have been sung

Wise ass wisdom, wasted on the young

Spend your mornings thinking about the night

Don’t carry fire, you can use my light