I looked through the muck
of the man
through the blood and the bones
to find the poet inside
then I took him out
beautiful small pitiful fragile
I examined him fully
poked and pried and peaked
until all dignity and pride
were gone from him and perhpas
through this observation and violation
I shed a few bitter painful
tears of pity
because I came to know this self
and I came to love the abysmal nature
along with the gentleness of this being
but now and again as life intervened
all this I had learned vanished from my mind
where were my tears of mercy
when he needed them
I gave a little giggle
to see him crushed
beneath the heel of my shoe