by Mickey J. Corrigan
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| Art by Zelley |
destroys his own farm
blind eye on the golden hay
clumsily embarking on a sweep
of dirt under fields and rugs
fistfuls hidden, tossed away
the swamp calm beneath blue skies
and the swell of a flood tide
bearing an economy of crime
bears down, drowns the land.
And there he stands, proud
pitchfork in one pale hand
flash suit over excessive flesh
his minions and puppets
whiplashed and soft-focused
in the brilliance of a gilt sheen
he has shed the dark cloak
and revealed a plastic heart
that does not beat in tandem,
a harvest plan that starves,
feeding neither bodies nor souls
but the infantile emotional self-
interest of the greedy animal
chowing down fantasy food
and golden age TV dreams
of power and wealth only
silly fictions bring to life.
From the top of the silo
fake this, false that
the poor garden at his feet
the sick and dying, lost
trampled down, laid out
in a stink pile of manure
his arrogant gaze pitiless
as the Florida sun
burning to a crusty char
all of it,
all that so many
worked so long, so hard
to plant, tend, grow.
Originally from Boston, Mickey J. Corrigan writes Florida noir with a dark humor. Novels include Project XX about a school shooting (Salt Publishing, UK, 2017) and What I Did for Love a spoof of Lolita (Bloodhound Books, 2019). Kelsay Books recently published the poetry chapbook the disappearing self. Grandma Moses Press will publish the poetry chapbook Florida Man later this year.