One If

One if by land
Two if by sea
Three if by air
And four if by me.

The crowd we seek
in market square
with pallid face
and hateful glare

And with the sun
that keen eyed foe
I travel quick
from that which knows

Crumple slowly
with palm slick
pressed and heavy
upon the brick.

And upon the breast
where heavyset
the heart beats
fade and weft.

Cough and spit
to let the last
a gasp for breath
its ragged pass

Come then rest
dark call it sings
on whistling air
the blinding sin.

Swelling wave
and within breach
push the tide
to wreak the deed

Typhoid dreams
crawl about
in creeping death
a breaking shout.