The Garden of Verse: "Unmasked Men" and the "Justice Issue" poems

I am grateful to editor Pratibha Kelapure, who states on her 'about' page for the journal, "The Literary Nest," that "Poetry matters," for including my poem "Unmasked Men" in her excellent journal's new issue. I think poetry matters too. 

I'm grateful also for the generous comments on this poem I received from a number of readers. 

If you haven't read it, here's another chance:

 

Unmasked Men

Trust only those with masks

the unmasked are stealing your future,

or your children’s or your grandchildren’s futures

Freedom is scarce

They will take yours

and they will not share it,

or give it back

They will consume it alone, down some hole

When you meet them, years later

      -- if there is a later, if there are years --

at a highway rest stop

their children will be hungry

their faces lined with fear

The sky will explode with apologies

from the management

All boats will be leaky

Posters will warn of a man in a red hat

The leaders of the coup will be arrested

Trust no one with a camera

Truth rides a bicycle

Zip codes will be randomized in the new

     post-P.O.

Bird will fly the wrong way in winter

Ants have colonized your neighbor’s back yard

They are sending scouts, parties of militarized true believers

into yours.

 

The unmasked ones will tell you all is well

“You can see by our faces that we are honest”

When they approach for an embrace, they have their hands

in your pockets

Their eyes on your daughter

They want to know your boot size

The time to hesitate is through

You can see the future by their smiles

The executioner’s face is not always well hidden

They steal your chickens in broad daylight

They cannot agree on what year it is, or even what day

Their leaders have not approved

the new calendar

Each day is called “now”

by which is meant “never”

 

Do not trust the ones without masks

Or agree to the toss of a coin

They keep their tails on both sides

They have no masks for the best of reasons:

They have no faces

 

To see the rest of the issue here's the link The Literary Nest

 

I am grateful also to Ruben Baca, editor of Necro Magazine, for including four of my poems in the journal’s fall issue devoted to the theme of “Justice.” 

My poems, and those of the other contributors include lots of contemporary comment here. Unhappily there's lots of ‘injustice’ to go around these days. 

 

My poems are “America 2020,” “I Have Lost a Country,” “What Democracy Looks Like,” and “Last Days of the American Empire.” 

 

To see my poems and the rest of the magazine, here's the link 

Justice Issue