"Ladder" & "Lacking"

Ladder

every line bears this weight
clumsy truth, crucifix-like
and in bearing alone, they are born

                                                  up and sing
                        on the wings of those demons we've seemingly seen
                        to be
                           descending
                        one ladder inverted
            where once Jacob had torn
                                                 down his alter
                         in anger, in the dry place where we left the vision

Lacking

all together
with numbers and rulers we form
circles in playgrounds like schoolgirls

with jump ropes and all with short sing song rhymes
short, and now shorter, now shorter
like ozone

with long life hum whispers and all with eyes
like lacking