Blind Alley

  In the alley

any alley

     a man runs

and his head

     seems to be bleeding

there is a grey bandage

      and he is bleeding

he is running

     with his head first

and foremost and

     there is no end

to the alley

     the photo shoot

makes this entirely clear

     as it pulls back

to show the blank wall

     at the end of the alley

any alley

     in this godforsaken

war zone where

     the wall is blank

with graffiti

     which are voices of hate

the last thing

     he will ever see

as we see and cannot help

     seeing the ranged guns

at our end of the alley

     the end where we look

and are appalled

     but continue to look

at the bright red bloom

     on the grey bandage

and on our screen

     and on the blank wall

at the end of this

     or any other alley.