Tender

Camille Rankine

Dear patriot
Dear catastrophe
None of this means what we thought it did
Dear bone fragments
Dear displacement
Dear broken skin
I am in over my head
Dear prisoner
Dear, dear wounded
You have earned our respect
Dear glad hands, curbed dog
Dear perfect object
The same night awaits us
Dear put upon
The day folds over and begins again
Dear bad animal
Dear caged thing
There was something about you