Washington D.C.

For me
I like to think
the hens in their mania
pecking the wound on their sister’s head
are not malicious
attacking the weak
kicking her when she’s down
but are in fact
involved in an attempt to heal
lacking, however, the proper tools and training
they maim, provoke further injury
without expertise and experience
never having studied or practiced
it is death they give
slashing, stabbing, running her down
feathers float in dusty air
blood seeps into the chicken shit earth
they gave it their all
but the patient was lost
it is better that way
to think it