Tag: poem

• mercy:

  v. bitterness powdered and pressed into black obsidian; an outstretched hand, helping another step off the gallows; to vindicate.

  Oct-16-23

  gallows, mercy, poem, poetry, quote, re:definition

  ---

• going about our business.

  we kill each other then we update our charts
  watch our stocks tumble deep into the red
  paw around, vengeful
  clamor to short, to break bloody even
  
  we kill each other, thumb lazily through the chapters our books share
  find we all agree too strongly on 'home;' it simply cannot stand
  so we put bombs in a few playpens
  roll grenades into particular cul-de-sacs
  
  we kill each other, slowly sometimes
  make our rulebooks into beartraps that snare bodies behind chain link fencing
  clear our throats and spit
  toe around in the dirt to busy ourselves while we wait
  
  we kill each other and shrug
  S.W.A.T. our worries away - today,  there are more pressing matters
  but still hinge at the waist when the killing comes for us
  bullets peppering paper mâchéd hallways
  
  dumbfounded
  at the furrowed brows
  our neighbors' pursed lips
  the sight of our own reflection
  

  written following the publication of the chart below, New York Times, Oct-08-23
  written following the death of thousands of people
  written following the death of the first of thousands of people
  written following the death of the latest of thousands of people

  

  Oct-09-23

  bombings, gun violence, migrants, poem, poetry, prison, war

  ---

• fold a single paper crane, snap a rainshower of polaroids, press them into the palms of strangers; give away wishes to those who just may need one, explaining ‘here – it’s worth a thousand.’

  Oct-07-23

  friendship, love, one thousand paper cranes, poem, poetry, polaroid, quote, wish

  ---