john sweet


victory blvd


there will always be
someone waiting to steal
whatever brings you the most joy

there will always be this
addiction to
violence and religion

you learn the words to your
favorite song and then you carve
them into the tender skin of
your lover’s children

you build your god with the
head of a hawk only
to cut it off

only to drink the
marrow from its bones

broken hand w/ mirror


in this world where
almost everything is beyond
your control and your
choices are limited to false
god, slave, impotent king

vote or don’t vote
shoot or don’t shoot and
                      either way
the starving continue to starve

grow old
then

die

eat handfuls of dust

send postcards back to 
your loved ones, to 
your enemies

let them see you
                finally
for the empty threat you
                   always were

john sweet, b 1968, still numbered among the living. A believer in writing as catharsis. An optimistic pessimist. Opposed to all organized religion and political parties. Avoids zealots and social media whenever possible. His latest collections include APPROXIMATE WILDERNESS (2016 Flutter Press), BASTARD FAITH (2017 Scars Publications) and the limited edition HEATHEN TONGUE (Kendra Steiner Editions). All pertinent facts about his life are buried somewhere in his writing.
 
 
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