Banditti at Rest, by Sy Brand

Banditti at Rest, by Alessandro Magnasco (Italy) 1710s.

Banditti at Rest

silent stone, breathe, wait, our legs ache
 
Light
a cigar with
me, watch
the flame
burst, so 
still yet 
so alive,
dance with
me among
the smoke,
among the ruins.
 
we have seen many here, they pass through much too fast
 
Deal 
the cards, place
your bets,
lay them
down,
1
2
3
collect your 
winnings, let’s
go again.
 
there are children this time, they will also age, let moss green their crown
 
Clatter your
guns against
the steps, blow
your horn,
vibrate our
chests, now
sit for
just a second.
 
when they leave, we are left much as we were: silent stone

Sy Brand

Sy is a queer non-binary person living in Edinburgh, Scotland. They write through the haze of cat-/child-induced sleep deprivation to try and make sense of gender, relationships, and ADHD. You can find them on Twitter @TartanLlama and their publications at sybrand.ink.