“Dire Need” © Edward Michael Supranowicz

 

We Walk

We walk away from the sun
with tongues cut,
language extracted,
hands immobilized.

We walk in an absence of thought,
cleanse our bodies and souls—
whitewashed—void of color, diversity,
orientation, spirituality,
individuality, intelligence,
and love.

We walk with devout obedience
inside a global maze
constructed without an exit,
abide sacred dress codes and behaviors,
never question divine laws
that repealed justice.

We walk on,
never noticing the sun diminish
into isolation,
the universe distance itself
from intervention,
or the rising walls of body bags
inside this paradise lost.

 

Patricia Carragon’s latest books from Poets Wear Prada are Meowku and The Cupcake Chronicles. Her debut novel, Angel Fire, is from Alien Buddha Press. Patricia hosts the Brooklyn-based Brownstone Poets and is the editor-in-chief of its annual anthology. She is an executive editor for Home Planet News Online. She lives in Brooklyn, NY.

Edward Michael Supranowicz is the grandson of Irish and Russian/Ukrainian immigrants. He grew up on a small farm in Appalachia. He has a grad background in painting and printmaking. Some of his artwork has recently or will soon appear in Fish Food, Streetlight, Another Chicago Magazine, The Door Is a Jar, The Phoenix, and The Harvard Advocate. Edward is also a published poet.