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i cannot hear america trying to singTo Mark Hartenbach's previous piece     the thirteenth passionTo Mark Hartenbach's next piece


prayer wheels, hoops of fire & big fat zeros

whether you want to call yourself
the thief on the left
or the thief on the right
is irrelevent
either way
you're meat
sweet beatitudes between your lips
or marlboro light

we all create our own mythology
& die untranslated
from hammering at indifference
to emphasizing
potential of still life repetition
what lies beyond dispair
hope of approximation
or resolution's gospel truth
& can we
write our way around it

once upon a time
i renounced my humanity
in a vain attempt at immortal relief
stacked my poetry
in neat serious piles
instead of slapping them
on crumbling walls
or trembling thighs
afraid of contaminating
my precious visions
instead of murdering the page
with realization
that death
is a great forgiver

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