Among The Settled Dust Poem by Ben Partenay

the story goes that
man left everything
inside and outside
there was a shell
that he called skin
with holes for eyes
with holes for ears
with holes for breath
that leaked and let
the word out, the
story goes he tried
to board up
the eyes
the ears
the mouth
tried to keep
the birdsong in, the
story goes a woman came
in with a storm
and left him stripped bare
left the eyes blinking
the ears ringing
and the mouth gasping
for breath,
careful brother
you are weak
and trying to
rebuild.