Three Poems by John Tustin

AWAY FROM ME

Little Chinese chicks in striped socks
on their way to school
away from me

Young teachers
in flimsy summer dresses
taking my baby
walking away from me

The rainbow of high school girls
outside Dunkin Donuts
chattering, waving their hands
silken legs, animated faces
turning their heads
away from me

On the bus
on the street
in the window
white and peach
and yellow
and brown and brown

As I age
as I wither
as I ponder
as my eyes darken
in dim energy and inactivity
they turn further and further
away from me



11 YEARS AND COUNTING IT ON THE CELL WALLS

I’ve never been to prison.
Never been locked up.

Never been on the streets.
Or had a tooth knocked out.

Never had cancer.
Never been in the hospital overnight.

But I have been married.
And that’s hard time.



THERE’S A MADMAN IN MY SKIN

There’s a madman in my skin
picking at the scabs
needling the scars
fingering the sores

There’s a madman in my clothes
getting jerked off by whores
hating them
calling them bitches under our breath

There’s a madman behind my eyes
eating subtle poisons
popping pills
not sleeping

There’s a madman in my bed
leaving come stains
and half-formed thoughts
obsessed with legs
with feet
with lips with hips
with eyes with thighs

There’s a madman beneath my heart
scratching our balls
talking to ourself
singing the same songs
to earless heads
to blank expressions
to canceled faces

There’s a madman in my smile
wearing a mask the world cannot look through
we cannot see beyond
eyes wrapped in gray gauze
with barely the strength
to hug the kids goodnight

There’s a madman in my skin
dying to get out
dying to die

No comments:

Followers

About Me

Black-Listed Magazine is an online literary magazine. We publish on a rolling basis: weekly, daily, sometimes hourly. Send submissions here: blacklistedmagazine@hotmail.com

Blog Archive