By: Sophia Noulas
Don’t Fuck Your Heroes, Kid.
Yes, yes, yes, yes
It all started when I declared that I loved reading Bukowski
and a slab was produced where a tired old man cradled his hangover
before kicking the swan next to him off the couch
angry that he did this in front of a camera as she was trying
to scrub the air and this led me to a chatroom full of fingers
other erect, pointing, parts poorly moderated
analyzing the fallacies in the fantasy of the old man
punching them saying ‘buk was not a cuck’
meanwhile a kid in a cave who lived among lions
walked out grimy into the world before pacing back
and he liked the sight and smell of birds and their shiny things
using mud to stick them under his skin
ignoring clouds praying over the hills
catching a peak before spilling and bursting
I guess his jaw must’ve slipped through red gloves
What are you looking at, Motherfuck?
didn't ruffle a feather but chipped the bathroom tile
an earthquake bouncing in a pond
meanwhile the old man finished his yelling
has satisfied his wanting head bursting
in the dark dirty humors curdling
acoustics are like that sometimes
turning a closet into a caldera
When a dream dies but you keep going, or Persistence
A Dog bit some Kid, so
they shot it, (in a heartbeat) but
the mouth clenched, so
they cut off the Dog’s body, (with a shovel) and
it still won’t let go, so
they cart the dead Head (and the screaming Kid)
to the hospital, and
the Surgeons (with gloves)
put their hand inside the skull, (like a puppet) so
the jaw would un-click, and
the Head is now gone, but
in the Kid’s knee there are still teeth (like seeds)
past the stitches, past the scar, where the Dog will not let go.
Sophia Noulas is a graduate of Fordham University's Creative Writing Program. She volunteers as a reader for Electric Literature and she has connections to Frontier Poetry, the New York Poetry Society, and Unofficial Brooklyn Poetry. She has been previously published in Chaleur Magazine, La Piccioletta Barca, and High Shelf Press. She can be followed on Instagram @sophia_noulas