A Poem By Joseph Lease

by Mark Bibbins, Editor

Soul-making

Death is here, you took a photo, sure, death
Is near, remember, remember, today we fight
Like birds, fight like burning rags, today we
Fight like gods, today we die for gods, how
Much is that ahi in the window, here you
Are, here we are, no mercy, no future, lots
And lots of turkey sausage, death tangles,
Death shakes, death breakfast served all
Night, death tangles, death shakes, death-
Flavored ice-cream, deathberry gum

Joseph Lease’s critically acclaimed books of poetry include Testify (Coffee House Press, 2011), Broken World (Coffee House Press, 2007), and Human Rights (Talisman House, second edition forthcoming). Lease’s poems “’Broken World’ (For James Assatly)” and “Send My Roots Rain” have been selected for Postmodern American Poetry: A Norton Anthology (Second Edition). “’Broken World’ (For James Assatly)” was also selected for The Best American Poetry 2002.

Previously in The Poetry Section: other poems. You may contact the editor at [email protected].