The Chaos Section Poetry Project
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No Eulogy
Chad Parenteau Priest readscliff notes,from obit. Lived, worked,retired, died,had family. What elsegets buriedthis afternoon? Not a singlesecret passedover pew. Soon no onewill recallanyone here. Final giftof holyanonymity. Just onemore threadon bootstrap. The unsungof world’swinning team. Sweepingthemselvesunder rug. Pass Peterwithout evershowing pass. Behind gates,faceless divineforevermore. Chad Parenteau hosts Boston’s long-running Stone Soup Poetry series. His work has Continue reading
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Ubuntu
Andrew Frewin Wilson When our humanity faltersIn so many placesAnd what really mattersIs trounced in so many waysWhen dictators are not justA “Third” World afflictionWhich “First” encouraged, in moral derelictionAnd now is itself spotted like rustWith rampant would-be elite FascismWe can draw back from the abyssFor democracy is no mere -ismIf “humanity” no longer resonates, Continue reading
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You prefer
Rick Doyle horseradish to mustardturnip to maple syrup Dutchman’s breeches to hawkweeda ditch full of asters to a field of daisies head of tide to estuarytomorrow’s eclipse to last year’s comet a broken promise to a broken-backed threata heartfelt obscenity to a misleading songa bitter truth to a brass-belled anthem a feathered doubt to a Continue reading
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The Mad Hatter Hiding in Dark Matter
Strider Marcus Jones in our housei binned the radiofor playing Strauss- left the suited rodeoof casino Faustand shot the gentry shooting grouse. into the wild gardenwithout spun jargonwe went through rusting arch of rose dissentonto the precipice of peacewhere slush borders grip and grease like usurping tectonic platesshapeshifting smaller states.their innocents bombed Continue reading
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Ego Death
Aubrey Phoenix That’s what I mean, though-Everything has burned down.I’m rising from the ashes,Albeit traumatized and shaken,But I’ve never felt more alive.It feels like The UniverseHas stripped me down to my bare soul-Pulled me apart into pure essence,Leaving behind scattered nouns and adjectivesThat I’ve claimed in this life,Ultimately, it all means nothing. I mean, seriously;I Continue reading
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The Silent Era
Rick Doyle There was a time when Max was silent as a moon,as a satellite in transit behind the lunar pebble,as a man whose mouth is shoveled full of earth. It wasn’t just that he couldn’t speakin public — oh, no! He couldn’t whispersweet nothings, couldn’t utter a prayer,couldn’t even tell a knock-knock joke.And this Continue reading
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The Spark
R.M. Carlson a heart breaks again,and another,and another… each time, each teareach betrayaldevastationthe thread of lovefollowsthe sharp needle: binding, mending, strengtheninglove awakening, eyes openingto the collective consciousness love abides in alla light to shinethe spark must be struckby the needle: binding, mending, strengtheningweaving all togetheras one stronger togetherone love, one lightdarkness is onlywhere lighthas not Continue reading
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All the Naked Emperors
Patricia J McLean If we put them end to end all the naked menall the naked emperors from the firstin earth’s history to the lastthey would circle the globe.A million moons shining up at the skytheir mouths full of dirttheir penises sticking into the soft earthand their anuses would be singingreaching for a high notedescribing Continue reading
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Inauguration
Bartholomew Barker The Emperor strode across the stage, declaringhe’d woven his suit and robes from the purest goldand they were the classiest, comfortablest clotheshe or anyone had ever worn. Social media saluted, his cultists cheered,grateful reporters transcribed every word,and very serious pundits on television debatedboth sides of his glory. But the poets and children pointed Continue reading
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when asked for help writing a satire
Matthew E. Henry she said it was due in a few hours. so I closed my laptop,stopped grading, and did my colleague’s job. taught herthe classic definitions and offered some examples. butshe was too Black to watch SNL and too young to rememberIn Living Color. so I re-opened my laptop and showed hera Key & Continue reading
The Chaos Section Poetry Project 