An allegiance we could make

slow walkers, people
who look up to see what time it is, those
of us who hold hands
at the movies, hummers, yard
rakers, a slow wonderful
war fought in silence without
them ever knowing

                               Mondays we’ll sleep late, we’ll
make a stand, giving the histories that happen
away to passing jets, to rotating signs, and our heroes have walnut stained  hands, have
buckeyes in their pockets, pocket watches

They will be whittlers of wood, of ivory soap
                 The orders come from inside the head
                  whispered remembered again and
                  again, refusing what happens
                  elsewhere, grinning
                  at the dwarf spinning in the street
We’ll make our slow stand
                                      on our front porch swings