poems

Three Illustrations

2018 · Poetry

Picture of a happy child;
Picture of a happy future;
The interjector

A HAPPY CHILD

                If a child turns into an adult,
                That's fine,
                And if then the adult dies,
                That's okay.
                If a child keeps being a child,
                Worry,
                And if then the child dies,
                Not okay.
                Children who aren't adults are making
                Problems for everyone, and
                If you find a child that's happy
                Not being an adult, not
                Grown up yet, it's gonna be a serial killer.
                (As long as it's happy I guess.)
            

A HAPPY FUTURE

                Science fiction is full of happy people
                In unhappy futures.
                The happiness is how they showcase
                Dystopia.
                Things are bad, but everyone is smiling.
                This makes things even worse.
                Later on, you're smiling too and –
                What's more –
                You're breaking the fourth wall, something
                Auf Deutsch,
                Like Veer home and glut on fondue,
                And blink.
                Or (lens has just your profile) do you wink?
            

THE INTERJECTOR

                Last time, your skin was lifted off the rest and
                I tapped the cage of your rattling heart and
                Fed it every day at Five PM until the cold ate
                Away the rhythm and no one found my art
                But, studying, pain from me's a privilege and a gift
                Where for children who never grew up, the aptest
                Abandonment is to the cold – Wingless animal,
                Fly! Fly free, sink free, sink freezing to your death.
            