the worst is over (or love me when i’m gone)
abraham chopped wood because he liked
to burn it on cold winter nights
or because god commandeth it so
in the early hours when fire in his eyes
diminished to near nothing
he’d awaken from lack of oxygen
and proceed to jump-start his day
chain of events unfolded inevitably
one altar leading to two or three
challenging false belief that sacrifice
somehow supersedes life itself
december two thousand seventeen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved