Chad W. Lutz
Two Poems
House of Cards
embers burn
in a desert
hot
while a country
cold
to the cries
of the snuffed
stuffs their pockets
& plans to go to war
what was it
but another
assassination?
perhaps another
blind attempt
at control
at power
at the expense
of the world
a single bomb
costs the equivalent
of a nice house
in the suburbs
that’s exactly
what’s at risk
for either side
Dower in a Dry Land
a fragrance
I’ve known forever
now my only
place of refuge
cool rain
& oak pollen
little bits of industry
the sky lights
up electric
as the west wind
meets the north
I hear thunder
and wonder
if it’s
clapping
for me
who else would it be?
can’t pay the rent
can’t insure myself
the sky lights
up electric
& a criminal
gets his wings
jail for a quarter of a gram of marijuana
jail for the man wearing peace signs
one application becomes
two applications becomes
three applications…
the screen
on my lap
keeps telling me
sorry
we’re just
not moving
forward
with your
candidacy
at this time
that’s my favorite rhyme
… becomes
seven applications
becomes eight…
the position
has been filled
or some bullshit
…becomes eleven applications
becomes twelve…
I get it
the treble
of the thunder
its baritone pop &
cantankerous mount
& pout
conjure images
of a wrong turn
I made down
a one-way street
when I was eighteen
a one-way street
that changed everything
on a night
pretty similar to this
—Submitted on 06/18/2020
Chad W. Lutz is the author of the novel For the Time Being (J. New Books, 2020). A non-binary writer born in Akron, Lutz holds a BA from Kent State University and an MFA in creative writing from Mills College in Oakland.
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