Salve

Salve by Michael R. Burch (for the victims and survivors of 9-11) The world is unsalvageable ... but as we lie here in bed stricken to the heart by love despite war’s flickering images, sometimes we still touch, laughing, amazed, that our flesh does not despair of love as we do, that our bodies are wise in ways we refuse to comprehend, still insisting we eat, drink ... even multiply. And so we touch ... touch, and only imagine ourselves immune: two among billions in this night of wished-on stars, caresses, kisses, and condolences. We are not lovers of irony, we who imagine ourselves beyond the redemption of tears because we have salvaged so few for ourselves ... and so we laugh at our predicament, fumbling for the ointment. Keywords/tags: 911, war, violence, surreal, survival, survivors, recovery from, love, lovemaking, lust, sex, tears, redemption, body, bodies, flesh, touch, caresses