No Siren

No Siren

It’s noon on Tuesday

and we’re not listening to

the long siren

roll over the streets

and down the sidewalks

not listening to the

outdoor

emergency

broadcast

system

It’s Tuesday, noon

and we are not

synchronizing imaginary

emergency responses

we are not mentally

checking our first aid

kits for gauze and iodine

we are not

rehearsing the route

to the agreed upon

meeting point

the canary drowned

we failed the tests

the emergency

has emerged

and continues

emerging still

and this

is not

a test.