Poem – Queens (By Michael P. Kusen)
Sarah makes sandwiches all day, piling meat and trimmings high on pillowy bread she spreads apart before her customers’ eyes. Hardworking men love her sandwiches and sometimes date her after work but none so far has mentioned marriage. This confuses Sarah who’s as open as her bread in satisfying men. That’s not too wise, says Ethel, a granny clone Sarah chats with after lunch-hour […]
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The Fire Animal AS WE CONFLAGRATE OUR NEW PASTURES AND EXPECT THEM STILL TO FLOURISH AS WE BREATHE IN THE SMOKE INHALE AND EXPECT A BILLOW TO BLOW OUT AS WE COUGH OUT THE BLOOD OF LIFE AND EXPECT A STAIN UPON THE WORLD OUR VOICES SING WITH METAL AND WITH VELVET […]
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Impact Christmas time and stores are selling, selling, shoppers are buying, buying in desperate stampedes to get there first, get what they desire at any cost, regardless of effects on the deprived.
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HIS GREAT DAY Turns out I was the great man after all. Otherwise, why the suits. Why the priest taking time out of his busy day to eulogize me. And look at those tears. To think I lived all of these unwept years figuring maybe some people were born without ducts. And they’re hugging each other. For me, the warring […]
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Feral I bend in mourning bending to the loss of someone so familiar – your nurture-needing eyes and a temperament of molten lava whose tone was innocent and unrefined. I see you now in the doorway, flat and tensing but never moving, then at ease with me as a soft sigh overcomes you. Born in a tight spot […]
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Remember Me? We met a million steps back Before you started No? I’m the one that kept the little dead boys On legless unicorns from riding dreams The marionette who cut your strings So you could dance on your own The one you folded into […]
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IN WILLIAMSBURG In Williamsburg we learn How freedom ours was earned, At least for lucky born Of alabaster skin. Their independence claimed By declaration famed That Founding Fathers framed, Though was still had to win. But if from continent Of African descent, Whatever effort spent Was not for likes of you. Four score and seven years Still had to bear […]
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Journey (For My Father) I wish I could say that we are like any other father and daughter. I wish that I could say that we are the best of friends, but it took us a long time to get here. I wish I could say that I could tell you anything, everything, but you still would not understand. […]
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The Chibok Tale It’s a haunting tale that unites humanity As the Chibok zone of remote obscurity Crept into global consciousness in its adversity The day the puritan extremists sacked A Chibok school in phony military tact And snatched supple schoolgirls into Sambisa tract Its forewarned state had refused to act! The hypocritical combatants so dumb! Detest western […]
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