Mike Barney

Memorial Day

Stopped hearts exploded bowels
Fat unfried thighs torn and bloody
Unclenched fists toasted black palms crinkly
Ground meat in the war machine

Unified cheers untied tears
Our united fears make us monsters
Small boys practice being monsters
The glamour of death makes us monsters

We honor the dead today
We honor the fat unfried thighs torn and bloody
We honor the unclenched fists toasted black palms crinkly
We value the dead and honor their reasons

Our reasons make us monsters
The dead make us human

Mike Barney writes: I practice law in Michigan, write because I must (either that or suicide) and have been widely but shallowly published in a variety of obscure magazines, both print and on-line (which almost always cease publication shortly after my stuff has appeared) such as The Blue Review, JavaSnob Review, Vent, and Furry Chiclets.