the promises

I will not die
and in faith
not have that the ending

I guess that’s the biggest one
promise
of promises

there are others
more earthbound
the oaths

we take as families
and citizens
before the flag in school

the vows
that in infant baptism
the parents with the church say for us

and we break these
even with guns sometimes
to emphasize

the bloodiness
in going rogue
against what had been promised first

thank goodness for
that first one and
we need it

a promise of a heaven
when the world has failed us
as it is bound to

and what we resort
to but remembrance of
that first thing

that was its claim
that became its oath
it’s good

the one from the beginning
slipped inside our code to be opened
at the last

I’m not sure there’s more to say
hang on
when it’s impossible

to change
yet work at change
there’s a promise in working today

that’s not so bad
for we are
loved from here into the next

c l couch


photo by Prashant on Unsplash