day ONE THOUSAND and SIXTY SEVEN

these dark times

instead of working gypsum fields
the world is now a cattle call
for chemo, the status of the ant
unknown as your wife goes nuclear
basically, apocalypse every day

you know brother
every native of this city
lacks fear of the apocalypse
we've seen it a million
times daily in our memory
it's been passed down
from our fathers, our grandfathers
they met the belly of hell
everyday as poor people do
they reach deep into its mouth
take what they need to build

a broken dream that is, was, america

it's collapsing now
it was never beautiful
this city microcosm
as tech boom gentrifies
another version of apocalypse
at least if you're poor

who would ever think
these dark times
are in seconds even worse

at least there's consolation
albeit not much
we've seen it all
every now and again
in another dimension
it's clear that over years
old stoners never die
they just set off
to watch sunsets
in another dimension

--Jason Baldinger