Russ Cope writes

BodyHuman

Members of the same
species.
We flaunt, we fawn, we
put forward our best mask.
The one we think is most
fitting the moment.
The one our grandmother
gave us.
After all, granny can’t be
wrong.
There is one thing I have
learned about this
BodyHuman
and it is that we are, at
root, disappointing creatures,
distracted by shiny objects.
 
 Sagittal 3-D Slice Body -- Gunther von Hagens

Russ Cope writes

Anathema

Anathema, the old folks
say, and the town people
say, leaving the unfortunate
isolated and alone

out of what could be new
and promising, but it’s just
a walking by curse.

Russ Cope writes

No Face

It’s honest to God the best
interview I’ve ever seen, people
pawing over a new piece
of tech, rolling it in their hands
like a joint and cooing like doves.

The last person interviewed sealed
the deal. Underneath her wide brim
straw hat, there was no face, only a sound
        coming out,
describing how she needed a new phone.

Just perfect.

 
 -- Joe Mohr


   

Un dimanche après-midi à l'Île de la Grande Jatte (A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte)  -- Georges Seurat
.

Russ Cope writes

Kernel

There’s a bit of truth
in all fiction. There’s a bit
of me in you. A bit of you
in me.
I sneeze and the universe
says, yep, I know what that’s
like.
I spread and diffuse and merge
and we all speak together