the nature of the enemy, by Herman Shorts | poems, essays, and short stories in Poeticous

Herman Shorts

Herman Shorts

the nature of the enemy

if i stub

my fucking toe

it’s their fault

so say i, and who

could argue? you almost

certainly don’t even know

they exist, you poor sap

so your opinion

may as well be

some drool

on a retard’s chin.

not my job

to wipe up.

(2014)

Other works by Herman Shorts...

webwomb’s not the maker of me. came into it as falling is done. down, only always

now, I’m no Bukowski but my friends who don’t like poet… except his stuff, tell me they like mine, and I can drink like a drinking machine

1

i keep smiling forgetting to remember to stop myself.

Fieldwizards and firetops. Wobblybirds on snowflowers. Chilled milk and chowder for the little prince. Mothercake for mumbled thanks.

things to avoid

dopplergangers in case you both explode, who knows it could happen, true love too qui… like a limerick, obvious stupid si… like things aren’t. also, angular

1

there are never really any angels in god’s company, it really just pretends them

that's what she said

man, it’s hard to come down from impossible hopes seemingly

god is unwelcome in suburbia, the cells are too comfortable there, & love rests best under stars.

labeled falsely

I understand the tattoo now “VERITAS” on your wrist, only there because it is entirely absent everywhere else.

4

just start over not so much like anything was particularly

leaning into it

leaning into, not against it. no, decidedly for, yes, always that, no matter

1

2

authority problem

root it out the tiny bit left that says someone’s in charge not you. don’t let it live

chronic, yet pressing issue affecting development, function

unspeakable dearth of nutrient the cause of the complaint, lack of the sweet titmilk of human connection,

you are guilty of failing to love and understand me, like a dog is guilty of failing to speak or use

5

someone said, be desireless

we were all talking, things taking shape as they do, when someone said, be desireless, like that is at all a thing people