by Elaine Sorrentino
He’s given no warmup.
Tossed into the arena
with hungry litigants,
he pulls a timeline of horror
from under his fingernails,
pain mired in memory,
entertainment for the bloodthirsty.
with hungry litigants,
he pulls a timeline of horror
from under his fingernails,
pain mired in memory,
entertainment for the bloodthirsty.
From inside the stadium
and in front of home screens,
spectators judge the recounter
as he details the unforgiveable:
and in front of home screens,
spectators judge the recounter
as he details the unforgiveable:
“Where are the kids?”
“They’re in the basement.”
“They’re in the basement.”
His head remains in the lion's jaws,
he’s questioned over and over
until he's bloodied and defeated
and they are satisfied.
he’s questioned over and over
until he's bloodied and defeated
and they are satisfied.
You may leave the witness stand now.
Elaine Sorrentino, author of Belly Dancing in a Brown Sweatsuit (Kelsay Books, 2025) has been published in journals such as Quartet Journal, ONE ART: a journal of poetry, The New Verse News, Glass: A Journal of Poetry, Gyroscope Review, Sparks of Calliope, Sheila-Na-Gig, Poetry Porch, Ekphrastic Review, and Haikuniverse. She is facilitator of the Duxbury Poetry Circle in Duxbury, MA.
