just moments before the blast

There were only living

Breathing children, women, men including

one who knew the truth about the vest,  the explosives

wrapped around the heart

of time about to turn

A wedding into a bouquet of broken 

Body parts everywhere the survivors said

The ones who could still talk

remember the calamitous before and after

But few will acknowledge the lie at the heart 

of the chest-wired-to-slaughter 

-grim wedding of deadly injunctions-

You, child, whatever they promised you they had no

right to say these empty things

Imposters all scorch, blood, and bone

Before the implacable throne of the hereafter