Two Poems by Mitchell Krockmalnik Grabois

Grunge

Kindly SHUT UP
about the grunge
under my fingernails
That’s one way I express myself
tell the world who I am

Self-same my grimy teeth
face with no make-up
except for the red lipstick I smear wildly
around my mouth

These are my ways of being me
avenues the psycho-pharmaceuticals cannot travel



Army

booze
drugs
domestic violence
on the Rez

Finally decided I’m no whipping post
no ultimate scapegoat for
European genocide

The only out I could see
was the Army

Then I could be on the violent side
giving not taking
punishing Al Quaida for what they did

What my enemy’s capable of
I know

No Iraqi will ever
come in my barracks in the
middle of the night
and try to rape me and choke me
to death