Headlines in the Background

The headlines read:
“BLOOD EVERYWHERE!”
and I continued walking.

The day went on as it should.
Cars seemed not to notice.
None of us saw an ounce of blood.

Except, there was something in the background.

It was a day heavy with dreams
from the night before
that we couldn’t quite remember.

None of the details could be remembered.
I didn’t stop to read the story,
and continued to walk around
with all the blood in the background.

Blood everywhere—on the walls of buildings,
arms and legs, cement, smeared and darkening.

The fog was there, when I woke up.
Covering the mountains, hovering
just above the town.

It was a scene after a tragedy
that we knew took place
but didn’t quite know what.

“NATURE HAS BEEN VIOLATED!”
might have well have been
the headlines for that day.

But we continued walking
trying to figure out
things for ourselves.

Trying to push forward
into a clean future
but seeing only blood.