We Were Told to Paint the Houses White

We were told to paint the houses white
like an impartial, starry dove

Before they come to inspect
between our teeth, behind our eyes
Invite me to be witness to your sin

I think about what you feel
When you pant and gasp
inside my solid gloom

We were told that our ghosts
would be left in peace

Which death squad did you invite
to narrate your afternoon
next to the unpainted houses

Bloody, gangrened doppelgängers
laugh and cheer
foaming at the mouth

We were told
we had to forgive our own sins

Blinded, listening to the song
of a pious, aching dove
Do you know how to repent?

Invite me to be witness
before the houses are repainted
and the ghosts are let down