"broke and entered," "faced with the hydra’s stumps," and "can disavow your devil race"

broke and entered

into a genteel noble’s home
from the roof by
prying a skylight 
and crept across
its inner sanctums
through study and
into bedroom
could locate no books
anywhere within
except the Stranger

 


 

faced with the hydra’s stumps

it takes a flashing tongue to cauterize
the many spurting necks
before their progeny reach the ground
and sprout reinforcements;
skullcup must be drained
to the last drop
gnash teeth and lick
each nubbin’s spray

 


 

can disavow your devil race

but to go so far as cleaving off
your hooves and claws seems excessive
fear it will leave you a basket case
unable to feed yourself or
get around, circumnavigate

 

 

Jerome Berglund

Jerome Berglund is a writer and fine artist. He graduated summa cum laude from the University of Southern California’s Cinema-Television Production program, with emphases in screenwriting and philosophy.  Jerome is author of the collection Plague Poems and Hack Haikus and the chapbook WILD/LIFE.  His poetry appears in Abstract Magazine, Bangalore Review, Barstow & Grand, Cathexis Northwest Press, deLuge, the Dewdrop, the Elevation Review, GRIFFEL, Lychee Rind, Meat for Tea, Nine Cloud Journal, Poet’s Choice, a Quillkeeper’s Press anthology, Raw Art Review, the Silent World in Her Vase, Tiny Seeds, Wild Roof and most recently O:JA&L. Jerome is a fine art photographer whose black and white pictures have been exhibited in galleries across New York, Minneapolis, and Santa Monica.  In another life he worked as a visual effects artist for Lucasfilm and Dreamworks, and assisted on set at Lifetime and Comedy Central.  He is a committed activist as well, and has been actively involved in the Occupy, Standing Rock, and Black Lives Matter movements, and supported grassroots efforts promoting the Green Party. Jerome recommends the National Lawyers Guild.

 

Edited for Unlikely by Leona Strassberg Steiner, Art Director
Last revised on Friday, April 29, 2022 - 22:02