With sundowns of blank stares that ask of me
     everything & nothing, my silence knows
          Who were you before the catastrophe?’

is a question fencing in every
     player on this stage, those walking shadows
          with sundowns of blank stares that ask of me

‘Is this the key to that man’s masterpiece?’
     those fools who really mean for it to go:
          ‘Who were you before the catastrophe?’

since they really want to know. Tragedy
     just moves to gushing tears pity that flows
          with sundowns of blank stares that ask of me

everything but the question any
     one else would simply ask, shouting it out:
          ‘Who were you before the catastrophe‽’

The truth is I was writing it only
     moments before sending to frenzied throes
          with sundowns of blank stares that ask of me,
               ‘Who were you before the catastrophe?’