Subversive Prayer Poem by Luke J. Holt

DEARGAWDORGAWDLIKEFIGURE

I would like a sandwich made of my own shadow,

a house made of swarming kisses,

a new planet with shiny ribbon; blue and green and gold.

a drug you can fall in love, marry and mate with,

a church to worship every garden,

a virgin for every stagnant volcano,

a girlfriend made of liquid poison that sleeps on sofas made of solid thunder,

a war made of halos and orgasms,

and a Papal custodian to sweep the battleground with a mop and a pail of soapy garnets.

they say you have never sired a meaningless thing,
GAWDORGAWDLIKEFIGURE,
but i squirm like a maggot in alkaline
asking what i have done
and, answered with accidents and tiny disasters and titanic hurt, i can only subvert my prayer to suit the fly who will grow chemically old and poisoned
and hope my phosphorescent wings keep their pied powder clung close
and subversively pray no-one shakes it from these icy pinions you have sewn to me for laughs

NEMA