Saturday, September 25, 2021

CONFLUENCES IN SEPTEMBER, 18 MONTHS OF LOSS

by Mark Danowsky


Fighting a Losing Battle 8, a print by Alexis Lekat at Saatchi Art


It was so nice to read Butler revisiting Butler—
their change to they for our times


We let some people off so easy
& others we will forever push to the limit


Waiting on the next check
for survival


We are losing our birds
& much more than I know how to notice


I want to save our homeless
more than I want to save children abroad 


The people I know are not pleased
with my ethical quandaries


My city’s beverage tax is abysmal
when we’re debating if 200K or 400K means rich


A credit card notification informs me 
my address falls in a natural disaster location


All signs point to no one coming for aid  


I know it’s tempting to pretend
the worst might be over in 6 to 8 months


Try 10 years of losing
only to lose the nexus of all your efforts


Let the record show I tried


Mark Danowsky is Editor-in-Chief of ONE ART: a journal of poetry, Senior Editor for Schuylkill Valley JournalPoetry Craft Essays Editor for Cleaver Magazine, and a Regular Contributor for VersificationHe is author of the poetry collection As Falls Trees (NightBallet Press) and JAWN forthcoming from Moonstone Press.