Against Hope

Us. Here
High. 12th floor up
Into the cold

Dressed warm
Heads full, scared, hoping
Mountain on wall
Hope cascades over it
Runs
runs
runs out
runs away

We are not allowed to hope here
Us. Warm.
High
Wet only by delicate accident

Our hope for better worlds
For less guilt for ourselves
no.

We must live with our guilt
Like worms

we are not allowed to have hope
also
with everything else

hope is there for a sun
for a sunset
for a ray
that illuminates where Black is a queer death

we are not allowed hope
up here
on the 12th floor.