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
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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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.