The River Sticks

As the drain point
a continent of disciples
catch alls in lieu of cremations,
skim bathes the unborn and buries
the lifeless, the crumpled up
go betweens and feeders,
the pork bellied up and staggers
toward the swan line
in a spoonful of twice weekly
as the bottom grinds
earth into halves
and heads to Sing Sing
in reverse extraction:
bodies, berms, beewalks,
the blessed and the bled-out
guests of Liffy
come in soap-skins,
 shrink and cough,
skeptical tho alive
to wring the dead
out the shirts
 on wash rocks with a devil
at one side,
     birds on the other.