What Followed Is Part of a Later Narrative

The final sealing of the tomb
Never preceded burial
Of as many slaves and horses,
Chariots and charioteers
As the lineage could afford
To lose, compel to sacrifice.
What does this tell us about us?
I don't have that much confidence

In the applicability
Of any form of righteousness
Beyond local ability
(Temporally local, that is)
To coordinate disparate
Organisms of our species
In elaborate productions.

The bodies we scatter behind,
The remains we ourselves become
Are . . . What? Ghosts of coral polyps?
Topmost film of stromatolites?
Our story never ends with us.
The story never ends for us.
The ending is always a trick,
A pause for breath in the burning.