Semi Tropical - John Leonard
poetry ☆
poetry ☆
hard to be cheerful the acrid coffee
the endless rain invisible chokehold of moisture
squeezing all rebellion from the air
unsure if anyone is still breathing avoiding the stars
towers keep collapsing in this timeline
large tremors all around the world Kaiju rising from wreckage
more eruptions in the name of fathers freedoms
peace
why shouldn’t a ghost be there to carry me?
I tried to be a silver dollar I tried to feed the songbirds
but even they began to die what remains
is ruined seed crushed shells low hanging air
hard to be cheerful the opposite of a melody in this earwig invasion
dual wielding scimitars pillaging our cellar shower head kitchen
the only war I will fight all summer
this theme this slow rekindling of horror feels rare
like a good sequel I’d try to drown it out
when the rain stops and the clouds clear
if not for those strange lights in the sky
screaming their warnings
John T. Leonard is a writer and educator who serves as editor-in-chief of Rawhead and managing editor of 42 Miles Press and The Glacier. He holds an M.A. in English from Indiana University. John’s poems have been published in Chiron Review, December Magazine, North Dakota Review, Ethel Zine, Louisiana Literature, South Florida Poetry Journal, Jelly Bucket, Painted Bride Quarterly, Tipton Poetry Journal, Sheila-Na-Gig, Hole in The Head Review, Nimrod International Journal, The Indianapolis Review, and The Emerson Review, among many others. John was the 2016 inaugural recipient of the Wolfson Poetry Award, the 2018 recipient of the Josephine K. Piercy Memorial Award, and the 2019 recipient of the David E. Albright Memorial Award and Hatfield Merit Award. His debut poetry collection is forthcoming. He lives in Elkhart, Indiana, with his wife and son. You can connect with him on Instagram @jotyleon
