Dead Brother Super Hero

You don’t have to
be afraid
anymore

His super-outfit is made from handfuls of shit and garbage blood and pinned together
   by stars

Flying around
the room
like a mosq-
uito

Drinking all the blood
or whatever we
have

to save us
who

need to be saved


*


I whispered     To the rescue
and sat
on the dead edge
of my bed
all night
and

all morning

My feet did not touch the floor

My heart raced

I counted my breath like small white sheep and pinned my eyes open and stared at the door

Any second now
any second

now


*


He saved my brain
from its burning
building

He stopped and started the bullet it my heart
with his teeth

Just like that

He looked down from outer space through all the clouds, the birds dropping like weights

He looked out
from the center of the earth
through the fire
he was

becoming

He stood in the doorway
and closed his eyes

His cape sweeping the floor

From Flies by Michael Dickman. Copyright © 2010 by Michael Dickman. Used with permission of Copper Canyon Press. All rights reserved.