Antelope On Horns Impaled

antelope at
the waterhole,
sense of smell man
with rotten guts, antelope
raises its head, ethereal messengers
pick up the heavy metal signal iron in the
water collects, quartz reacts,

terrestrial mammal 
defending its land, para-religious groups
in camouflage filling canteens, antelope on
horns impaled, justice minister animal of reckoning,
scraps of clothing, blood smears and drag marks, leading
away from the water,

politics,
and if oil
prices drop
the whole thing
becomes a mirage,
antelope on horns impaled,
treeless shamans except Four
joshua trees on combat flats, it's
our best defense against interlopers,
eroding religion, blackberry rings, we don't
answer, talking at all on one of these things
ruins true empowerment, ethereal messengers
ring us, our ears play it for days, monitoring groups,
antelope on horns impaled.

Copyright Ms. Sage Sweetwater, firebrand lesbian novelist