Putting Down Bright Beasts

// Ania Mroczek

After Ada Limon’s “During The Impossible Age of Everyone”

It’s been done before.
No, not by us.
We have yet to sacrifice
our objects. Yet to lay in the cool,
deep earth and surrender
our animal shapes — mythic and wild.

We have not yet eaten
from the charred mouths
of our ancestors. Our hollows,
have not yet birthed their heavy wants.
We have not yet entered
the final fight, the winless kill,
the sad song.

We have yet to give up
our bright beasts.

People have done this before,
but not us.
We still howl for horizon,
blind with longing.