John Doe Number 2-4-6-8
Name on the tag that hangs from his big toe,
Ghastly sheet looms overhead with dried blood smears,
Appearance of something scribed by Edgar Allen Poe.
Here the dead man lies but hold back your tears,
For neither I, nor you, nor the world knew him.
Forgotten, except by himself and those sharing his name,
Daily left to rot as the light grows dim.
Animosity feelings are untamed,
As John's silent shouts upon deaf ears fall.
While his tombstone simply says RIP,
The unknown soldier's monument stands tall,
Body blown to bits with no identity.
His name, his body, his life, minute or great,
Unknown, unmourned, John Doe number 2-4-6-8
by Inna Bruter
drawing by Craig Hein
Happy Song
What if our existence was a parable,
And after spinning the iridescent door
We found that it was run
By a little guy who turned the wheels,
And cranked about our petty little lives
He lifts his head, looks up, and says:
I'm feelin' fine
This is paradise
I can't remember when I've had
So much fun,
Please end it all,
Yes, end it all.
If I had a dime for every time I
Failed to lift up my head and ask the time,
Well, I'd be rich, I'd buy a hot dog.
All the money in your hands
Won't buy you time.
Time is a lie, it says to me:
I'm feelin' fine
This is paradise
Your mind is free
Inside my cage,
Please torn it off,
Just turn it off.
Pencil lines and radio waves create
The common ground we stand on while
We shudder, count to ten, and hope for
Better days.
Plenty of time to find the guy,
The little one who calls the shots
If he pops up I know I'll run screaming:
I'm feelin' fine
This is paradise
And show me the way to
Tomorrow, I wouldn't' ask,
But it seems today has gone away,
So far away.
I've nothing left to bare except
The barest traces of my shimmering
Dreams. And now won't you just
Write me off as coming back for
All the rest of you, and I'll be damned
If I don't prove you right
Every time, while yelling:
I'm feelin' fine
This is paradise
I can't explain it but I know that
Wile I live, It's always
To your health,
I toast your health.
Yes, while I live it's always to your health,
And that's just fine.
by Eric Pidkameny
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