POETRY

Bricolage 

By Arjun Dhar 

the square looks like the inferno from afar 

you ain’t no real brutus 

but you still answered the call 

the end all be all still pending, i hug the prickly wonder wall 

nestled my head in her arms 

forget about the harm done and be 

teddy pendergrass in ‘77 

all fur no fake mink 

i study cold cases and lament for those fallen at the hands of inane brewers of pain you could’ve saved em 

thick pages 

a list of names 

switch the cadence 

karmic bits of perspiration fall with fervor and you still question why it’s always raining the past is a foreign country 

the go between 

i still think about when she left and i sparked the tree to forget 

the past is an empty net 

dream catchers spin the web, the things i wish i could’ve kept 

when i finally realized what u meant 

when i could feel the blood rush to my head and let it marinate cuz i deserved it a selfish excuse to make art 

that self harm that snickers in the dark and shares a bunk bed with ur thoughts senseless creaking 

stale bread in the cart 

the psychic on broadway manages to make rent 

hopped the border with some fresh legs 

throw you a bone , convo flowing, but it’s awkward like tex mex 

“don’t hold your tongue just say yes”, they replied 

i board the jet, eagle eyed, the switch re-aligned , the pigment so divine the lines 

brought so much hurt 

and what’s worse 

to get it out of the mud or be unaware of the curse ? 

bury me in what i wrote

gilded robes for those who own what they called homes 

pot holes in the roads that led to rome 

there’s no i in team, but at night he liked to be left alone 

laundry on the field, encroached past the neutral zone 

coach yelling in my ear like i should’ve known 

diets of non-violence and single roses that bleed silence 

silicone throat 

hydrate my clone and be gone 

flirting with time 

kissed the plain jane goodnight before i dined with the brothers with nine lives the teeth spelled connive, but i couldn’t surmise the malice 

fall on my sword for the man calloused from lies that breed empty talents pluck me out the sea with a talon 

i can’t seek if u don’t want to be found 

bad defense, get three crowned , only responsive to uncomfortable sounds a cacophony muffled in the ground growls like its almost there 

wretched of the earth plagued by punishments undeserved 

leopold undeterred , sever limbs of those that serve 

service with a smile got me nowhere fast 

house of hunger, unwary of the curse 

a print of thirst looms as i get busy tuning before we rehearse 

the monkey on my back memorised what made me stir 

and worse 

got jumped the morning of picture day 

commended me on how i was well behaved 

aviator shades to separate the shame from the righteous way 

ate lunch in the stall, took me a minute to stomach the hay 

grass fed is captive , i’m eating where i used to lay 

can’t fly too close to the sun but no one said anything about the stars 

packed a slingshot and a stone then i called the uber, told him to not be alarmed

yanked the string with force like a sitar 

brother’s head in a glass case to honor the gods 

made me to cover up the blood , ditch the tools, can’t let them figure out how i beat the odds with no scars 

on the way home, greeted with wreaths that fit my image 

it’s when you can’t seem to fix the sickness 

it’s honor systems in place but pointing fingers when they ask who did it!

it’s staring at a watchless wrist when they said they’d be here in a minute

it’s the empty classroom, light seeps through the vestibule 

waiting for the day to finish

lollygag to the church 

it’s the collar tags they sell as merch 

four corvettes and a hearse 

foreign currencies in the alligator purse 

the game is not the game, it’s just how it works

called off the search on the first 

he’s not missing he’s just on the road, mythical merc

observed the universe and put it in verse 

a little sip won’t hurt 

sprint turned to a tip toe 

sky bleed like a snow cone 

paddle past the threshold and fuck up the ozone

they said it can’t get colder than cold 

paid the plug in crypto 

hit em with the “i’ll get you back soon bro” watch your friends turn old and call when it's critical

spliffs turn medicinal when it’s right 

the knight of faith’s steed runs on spite 

the luxury to just watch and relish in the leftover light just name your price 

might budge if it’s too nice too pass up 

i trap laughter and let the room evolve 

the huddle warm but you won’t fit like orenthal

we really with it, you’re a dolezal 

the sweeter psalms keep it smitten 

look me in my eyes and tell me i'm not kidding

the sickness took a minute to set in 

the wise guys turn to a best friend 

and ghosts 

meet me at the coast if you’re about it 

quit doing the most, and enjoy silence 

a toast 

to the endings we never had a moment to hold 

illegal mining in goma 

scroll induced content coma 

old pack in the kitchenette 

i let it sit because i love the aroma 

plug’s girl’s name is paloma

we got the same drip, different fonts 

that’s the user persona 

quebecois scrawled on the stall 

a poor translation of “i told ya!” 

rosy cheeks eroded teams from the streets 

steel beams 

monoliths at the crime scene 

i glean what i can swallow 

sewed seams from jeans , twice borrowed 

throwing rust at the marlow 

you can shoot all day 

matter of fact, i’ll bring you more ammo 

half of nothing is still nothing 

i bleed camo 

bingeing ‘parts unknown’ eating fast food 

i gotta stop relying 

hit it twice if i have to 

the herd dying , open air 

the secret stare is bad news 

pour the chartreuse for the muse and grip velvet

trust me he’s a good dude 

the jeans selvedge 

i’m selfish 

lock pickers at the gates of hell 

the lakers are on at 12, don’t wanna join but i can’t help it

flip u like grant delpit on a good day 

the marble is smothered in blame 

i did my part 

hope it brings you peace 

no face no case 

they tried but they couldn’t see me 

souls in the petri, let it sit 

the words are heat seeking 

miss when i slip