the negative news

never surprises me

about the murders

of wives, mothers, children

about the suicides

of husbands, sons, elderly

about the postal

and their sprees

and their bombs

because i am capable

of the same split-second

self-stabbing as Elliot Smith

and the same split-second

hanging as Bourdain

and what is scary is not

how angry or depressed

i/we can get so quickly

it’s how quickly i/we

calm down

the before and after

the storm

making the storm itself

feel faster than a lightning strike

but

the lightning strike

can cause permanent damage

and

i am grateful

that no one has been

struck by mine yet