Spoken Word “Bodhisattva”

“Bodhisattva”
I heard that word
like a siren,
synchronizing with the shouts
that rattled the window
Pains. Fists.
in the air
of urban decay
that struck a silence
underlying compliance
disguised by
peace sign fragility
that couldn’t recognize
how liberation hung from
their tongues
crimson hued and exposed
like monks’ robes.
The streets’ mantras
chiseled at
plexiglass monoliths
that circumscribe
our consciousness
as we struggle
to carve
strength into the breathe
of suffering.