If you think the fingers that tip-type out
rhymes and readable rhythm
can’t speed up your heart while they chase
you down an alley and re-capture their words
that you tried to take,
if you think that only pacifists find their way
to the war of words we engage,
if you think that bards are afraid to defenestrate
the thief on the wrong side of Jesus
from the silent top of the Empire State Building,
you clearly don’t read enough poetry.

By Heidi Turner