I watched from across the room
as he stabbed the keys
with his middle fingers
as though every letter
and every word
was saying
“Fuck you!”
“Fuck you!”
“Fuck you!”
and I thought—
“A poet!”
I looked closer—
the tailored suit
the clean shaven face
every hair on his head
in perfect order…
then I saw the Wall Street Journal
on his table
and deflated—
a business man
too bad…
I’d have liked to read
some of that shit!
maybe I’ll start typing
like that…
see what comes out
HEMOPHILIA
more are hemophiliac
than is usually realized
and it’s not
a recent phenomenon either
despite all the shouting…
Cain?
even God himself
or the current tough guy
in the mansion
after the first few—
or 10 or 20…
we learn to avoid
the sharp edges
I’ve heard it said
to lean in
to become inured
thickened
but I’m a big coward
and there’s already
so much blood
you can’t go anywhere
without slipping in pools
“Oh! I’m sorry!”
“Is that yours?”
“No…I think it’s mine…”
people stalk and creep
with eyes askance
faces war painted
in crowds
a crimson fog appears
if you squint
you can see it
hovering
as it dampens
and unites us
unknowingly
in red
PROPAGANDA MACHINE
sometimes
a joke is made
and it doesn’t seem
to cost you much
you smile
or even laugh
along with the others
and it’s a genuine laugh—
even you bought it
and surprised yourself
but later
after the moment’s faded
as you sit in a room
alone
the machine clicks on
so softly
and does what it does
you don’t even hear it
humming along
as it dissects
and analyzes
and feeds you a steady stream
of propaganda
until you’re knotted
until you seethe
until the next time
you see that motherfucker!
