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Poems

My First Speech as the Head of This Sub-Committee

By Mikey Swanberg From Issue No. 6

When I raise my hand that means
I am talking /// eyes on me /// and
one    and two /// and one and
two and three /// can you see my
hand /// can you see my hand in
the air /// and one      and good
/// hi babies ///        hi lovelies
/// thank you and thank you
///         can  a good man do
bad things /// can a man have a
code which includes violence //
and when I say man ///    I mean
everyone /// can everyone settle
down/// okay can everyone be
violent /// you are going to ask
yourself /// from time to time ///
is my body capable of this little
hurt ///    this larger one /// can I
put the flying squirrel down ///
what about this man /// what
about this room of men
/// you
may find other answers darlings
/// but the answer is yes /// will
the sun still shine on Kentucky ///
will the bear bat the salmon   from
the river just to eat the fatty skin

/// you are  not dumb in your
wondering /// not an instrument /
// the heart swells and breaks ///
the mind flexes like Rand McNally
/// holding the world on his
cursed shoulders /// in every
heart lies the urge to jump /// as
the train creaks into the station
/// basic as  blood or milk ///      we

do not know our time to go ///
how are we doing on time /// fine
/// fine /// and one and two and
eyes on me /// look ///  the life
you want /// it will always be 30
yards   that way /// best to think
yourself a   shark   and   keep
sharking /// keep swimming
toward whatever little goal makes
you hum /// me /// it is an island
/// I won’t say where /// but  I
rode a scooter and was
happy and the coffee wasn’t   half
bad /// you could pick a job in
publishing /// or a plot of land ///
one of those new houses in this
city /// what is it I heard the style
called /// beachfront penitentiary
/// you will have bosses /// they
will request things you do not
agree with /// this won’t ever end
/// even if you become your own
boss /// didn’t god even say to
someone kill your son ///
and wasn’t that guy    about to do
it when god cracked the sky open
with a laugh /// look to your left
/// now look to the other side ///
everyone wants more than they
are going to get ///                and
everyone is right

About Mikey Swanberg More From Issue No. 6