Poems
by KJ Hannah Greenberg
Manchinelle Tree
Flowering plants, ordinarily, brighten bouquets, adorn hairdos, elsewise serve
As handfuls of beautification. Some shrubs, however, like manchinelle, cant
Offer more than toxic interactions. Solely, such vegetation remains murderous.
In other words, when gathering apples, its ill-advised to pluck all fruit. Some
Glistening orbs are not user-friendly. Several can taint ones harvest with poisons.
Various trees are known to issue burnished jade, jagged leaves revealing phorbol.
Mirroring the wrong sort of causal relationships, these shoots offer no solace if
Ingested, no comfort if brushed against, no win while otherwise integrated. So,
Sometimes, its best to leave things be, to esteem verdant growth from faraway.
Mendacity at the Demesne
Untruthfulness, especially when given the queens gardens, results in dead blooms,
Also, in trees whose neglected pruning causes falling limbs, displaced birds, maybe
Even homeless squirrels or goshawks missing shelter belts protection from storms.
Such plants remain worthless faced with strong sentiment, intense sun, precipitation.
Consanguinity aside, regal cousins execrate often and loudly per their seemingly
Never-ending lassitude (theres no point to tearing up over lineage) or allowances.
Free rides have hidden costs; reigning over populations no longer evokes obvious
Veneration. More so, the ripostes of the privileged hurt anyone within easy reach.
Meaning, from social heights, settled cultural patterns are not readily perceivable
When fixed. While broken, like other unfortunate contrivances, community fungi
Cant locomote dog-like or to crawl through shallows elsewise toddler-accessible.
Rather, motley followers tend to swarm leaders through oddly trodden statuses.
See, secret agencies invigilate royals, yet plain clothes cops climb relegated to pet
Sitting for the rich and famous. Likewise, whereas its known that the M15s pain
Ray activates denial systems, its hidden from view that soda cans, not tinfoil hats,
Bring about the advent of dust bunnies, paparazzi, important visitors from Jupiter.
Thralls Barely Compensatory Rhetoric
Until my usual corsair sailed, all dungeon black with lightless walls, I wrapped
My brain in transpiric damp, meant to saturate every thought and motive. Not
Only wastrels, but state enemies, too, must choose amid lapidation or pirating.
Ostensibly, even after rubbles resolute tendrils stopped encircling our limbs,
No search party proved judicious or tried to locomote survivors toward liberty.
Currently, civilities stay overrated. Characteristically, citizens often are killed.
So, among lumpen persons, I squat, incapable of limning sentiments, helpless
To emulate nationals. I fail to prosper, to actualize my role, to fulfill my want
To represent, here, now, innovative, influential perspectives and old sagacity.
Upon self-ransoming through dishonest conduits, rather than allowing régime
Bandersnatchi to nibble my toes, my fingertips, and my purpose, I burdened the
Loveliest of foundational thoughts with peculiar expressions of disgruntlement.
As the peoples brigand, I cant leave this oubliette, wouldnt acclaim slightly
Important moments, other methods to verity, no matter how steadfast words
Beckon with harbor. Instead, I fumble thralls scarcely compensatory rhetoric.
Even so, its not gloom, just stupidity, that abandons this population to ruinous
Outcomes, to going missing, to failing to be present for landed celebrations.
No large sum of screeched truth ever counterweighs urged but broken oaths.
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