The Literary Review
Crater Life
I don’t want to live
at the bottom of the craters
of the moon
or atop the ridges
the crests the peaks
on the distant satellite
of stone
it may mean survival
living up there
in breathless cold
if we render the earth
unsustainable
farming alfalfa and black beans
in nutrient enhanced
pulverized
moon rock
it seems possible
with a newly invented
light
and water source
even if we were to live
with virtual
projection vision screens
casting earth blues
greens
sky and trees
the occasional flight
of a rust orange
breasted robin
soaring
from the image
of a branch
to the image
of a branch
I don’t want to live
out there
where it is so gray
so awful
gray
- Michael Manerowski
Bullet Holes and Screen Doors
Bullet holes and screen doors and corpses
should not go
together
according to recent neighborhood shootings
they do
barrettes and hair ties and blood
should not go
together
according to incidents of domestic
violence
they do
in rooms
abandoned
slender teenage arms
heroin needles
ice cold blue
skin
should not go
all these things should not go
together
sadly tragic
they do
sadly tragic
we gasp
we gloss over
we pass by
uncertain what to do
we move on
- Michael Manerowski
Blood Autumn
After the losses
the heavy season
of losses
fallen leaves race
through the streets
like rats with wings
thieves making off
with the blood of autumn
making off
with the blood of sunlight
the blood of the river
the blood of trees
the blood of love
the blood of cold dawn
the blood of the field
at dawn
where rising from the grasses
copper birds
beating their wings
the frost from the grasses
in the air splintering
like an ice shower
like thousands of angels
ascending
in the amber sun
- Michael Manerowski
Know not what We Do
I don’t want to live
at the tip of the thorn
in the crown scalp and skull
of Christ
up there courageous
on the wood
flesh filled
with nails
but I must
I must live with it
accept it
for our human hands
drive in the thorns
like claws like teeth
feasting
upon some dangerous
defiant radical
man-like thing
we cornered
muzzled
defeated
as little human tongues
of blood
lick trails
down His forehead
His eyes
His cheeks
and what does Christ say
to our Father
in the midst of his own
slaughter
Father
forgive them
for they know not
what they do
- Michael Manerowski
The Wrappings
Rush along the roads
to buildings
through halls through doorways
earn money buy meals
to feed yourself
buy houses buy cars buy screens
consume content
that consumes you
invest in commodities
real estate
buy devices
play with devices
direct a lot of energy
to the functional use
of your devices
gloss over names
meanings
feelings
beauty
holiness
have marriages
have divorces
sell houses
move from cities
fly the kids back
say the kids’ll be
fine
fine
buy more devices
wrap up in gold foil
wrap up in plastic
wrap up in silicone
package yourself
build yourself up
hold yourself
up like a placard
like a billboard
like a verification
a substantiation
notice people
notice you
want people
to keep on
noticing you
whomever you
may turn out to be
underneath
the wrappings
for there
we will be waiting for you
there
- Michael Manerowski
