day EIGHT HUNDRED and THIRTY ONE

Notre Dame

burnt

and sure, it’s a tragedy

for religious people living

near the building

must have been

‘cuz all of the billionaires

jumped to attention

like

orca whales

at Sea World

black churches burn invisibly

hearts smolder

no one bats

an eye

the disparity is vulgar

the American caste system

unruffled

know your place

--Heidi Blakeslee 

day EIGHT HUNDRED and THIRTY

Of course

They found
mushrooms
on Mars
and plastic
in the
bellies of
blue whales
killing them
like heartbreak
or cancer

and 20
vets a
day take
their own
lives while
we consider
re instituting
the draft

our 6th
graders are
already depressed
and anxious
about their
life prospects
because there
are not
enough participation
trophies to
get them
into Harvard

these days
everyone just
ignores the
beauty and
wonder around
them in
favor of
shooting filtered
selfies in
front of
Notre Dame
as it
burns to
the ground.

--Matt Borczon

day EIGHT HUNDRED and TWENTY NINE

Afterwards

Our possessions spilled out,
like blood from a wound:
hopes, memories, dreams,
furiously snatched away.
People and sirens wail alike,
a rising symphony of agony,
accompanied by the crumbling of lives.

by Mark Lee

day EIGHT HUNDRED and TWENTY EIGHT

Piss & Betrayal

“Well,” she says, “You’ve got your choice

between piss and betrayal. Take your pick.”
She’s right. So I decide instead to go for

the hard stuff. Even though it’s hell on

my colon, my liver, my morning after.

--Scott Silsbe

day EIGHT HUNDRED and TWENTY SEVEN

Gemeinschaft

Life sure

seems

like a long time

to fail

and be sad.

Good thing there is belief in God.

--Randall Rogers

day EIGHT HUNDRED and TWENTY SIX

What Is the Number?

Is it 60?

Is it 7?

How many does it take

to make you

believe women?

How many stories must we tell

about how we couldn’t get away

about how we were drugged

about how he said he would kill himself

if we didn’t text back?

How many?

Is it five?

Is it five hundred?

Could it ever possibly be just

one?

Just one without you asking

if it was so bad why didn’t you get away?

Why didn’t you leave?

Just one

and you’ll stop saying

she’s lying,

she wants attention

as if risking the embarrassment

the pain of reliving

what was done to her

is not horrifying enough?

Just one

and you’ll stop defending him?

Stop saying he’s misunderstood?

Stop calling it a witch hunt?

Stop making excuses for

his behavior?

Just one?

Just one more?

You tell me.
How many?

--Ally Malinenko

day EIGHT HUNDRED and TWENTY FIVE

What Can You Do ?

What CAN you do ?
WHAT can you do ?
Surrounded by complacency and apathy
And constant, general dumb-assery
Keep yourself concious and alert
Although you're surrounded by people  as  dumb as.dirt
Keep yourself concious and awake
Even if you're surrounded by phonies and fakes
Fight against the thoughts of suicide
The Earth needs people like you on its side
Keep on keeping on, and stay strong
The time is coming, it won't be long

--Ian Copestick

day EIGHT HUNDRED and TWENTY FOUR

three churches three hotels

three churches

three hotels

and sri lanka mourns

its masses

never-ending civil war

worldwide suicide of religions

never-ending holy war

and the president is on twitter

his fat orange fingers

can’t type out the lies fast enough

138 million dead!!

mendacious christian warrior

on the front line to oblivion

looks like we’ll have to redact that one too

three churches

three hotels

three churches burning in the south

right here in america

but the president

ain’t got shit to say about those

there’s nary a tweet

three churches

three hotels

sri lankan government

had all the information

but they

dropped the ball

like they were playing a round

of 9/11                      

--John Grochalski                                                               

day EIGHT HUNDRED and TWENTY THREE

SANDPAPER

Hateful speech vibrates the air of the room.

The coarseness of their words

does not harm their throats or lungs;

the speaking does not touch

sandpaper to that tissue.

But all hearts, theirs and ours,

feel friction.

--David Pring-Mill