Broken Boy

a big booming voice comes down at last
says in the echo "hey broken boy
your only hope is at the end of this rope
so dance, you ape, dance hard, dance fast"

so i dance for his joy
then pretending not to be hurt face down in the dirt
i smell the bones of my fathers and mothers
and i can see how hard they tried

but in the end he shaved their hair
strapped t…