Guarding
our bitters
Each wrong
we have suffered
Enshrined
in our memory
Alive
in our souls
Forgiveness
a myth
The weak
will hold onto
Revenge
all the sweeter
Served hot
— and not cold
(Dreamsleep: June, 2026) O/L 5-24-2026
Like Masks
Forget
being clever
abandon
the word
Being cute
more offensive
its pander
absurd
They serve
as a mask
that we cower
behind
To proffer
deception
we harbor
— inside
Daddy
where is America
the ten-year-old asked
My teacher says
it’s in Washington
on a paper behind glass
My coach says
it’s on Sundays
when the Green Bay Packers play
My friend’s uncle says
Indianapolis
during the last week of May
Grandpa says
it’s July 4th
at the Veteran’s Parade
My bus driver says
it’s the Unions
and the working man’s wage
But where is it Dad
they all say
different things
Where can I see
America
in one place — as one thing
Grab your coat
Bobby
and let’s take a ride
And to a
large mall
they both ventured inside
Are you
hungry my boy
the father said to his son
You’ve got
choices galore
and can pick from each one
And as they
sat down
the father said from his chair
Look around you
my son
— this is America squared
(King Of Prussia Mall: June, 2026)
-
Author:
Kurt Philip Behm (
Online) - Published: June 24th, 2026 10:59
- Category: Unclassified
- Views: 5
- Users favorite of this poem: sorenbarrett, Tristan Robert Lange
Online)
Comments3
Kurt it is the first that instantly grabbed my attention in that I am so counter to this message but think I understand it so well. It is hot and angry it encapsulates so well the feeling of so many and nations too. Well written my friend and a fave
Yep, The Devil's Edge.' Thanks
Kurt, what strikes me is that both poems are really about what we carry. In one, it's bitterness and the allure of revenge. In the other, it's the masks and defenses we construct to conceal what lies beneath. Different subjects, same human struggle...the challenge of letting go of what keeps us from being whole. Powerful work, my friend. 🌹🖤🙏🕯️🐦⬛
Thanks TR.
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