Orion's Death

It happened again last night;
walking the dog,
wondering how he thinks without words,
Orion’s sword dangling in the sky--
that middle one’s a million times a million.

Then his sword bent,
his body flew apart,
stars shot in every direction
while my watch rusted away
and the fading dog star howled one last time.

It did not end,
it went on without me--beyond words.

Sharp, noiseless slaps and then gone,
leaving no frame of reference,
only empty pain.

I would dig my eyes out with my fingers
to gain such ignorance.