Like a mummy, wrapped in wool and cotton, he remains unmoved and I alone with the corpse of a friend who had too much to prove to the boys back home. His lips blue. So they passed the gun, pressed against temples, empty clicking in the ears. Chewy takes hold, steady as a chair. His jaw stiff with rage.
Hands reach out, trembling like black sparrows.
On the ground blood pouring out of opened wound while friends stand and weep for the one lying among the weeds Radames Ortiz is the author of a chapbook of poems, Below the Surface , which was illustrated by artist Tiziano D. Hernandez. The Mesquite Review , among other journals. His awards include the Fabian Worsham Award for Poetry and the Megaera Award for Poetry.