when all i’ve ever offered you is the truth

her sister says the only way out is down,
and are you really going to just stand by the
open window and talk to her about love?

are you really going to drive to vegas
with only enough crank for half the trip?

and when you get there,
no one wants to know you

the piles of anonymous bones 
have all been picked through

and when you finally get back home,
it’s been burned to the ground

no sign of yr wife, yr children, yr girlfriend 

and her sister says the only way
into this world is by force

says a cross to nail herself to is
all she’s ever asked for

maybe the strength to
drive every last nail home

John Sweet

John Sweet sends greetings from the rural wastelands of upstate NY. He is a firm believer in writing as catharsis, and in the continuous search for an unattainable and constantly evolving absolute truth. His latest poetry collections include "A Flag on Fire is a Sign of Hope" (2019 Scars Publications) and "A Dead Man, Either Way" (2020 Kung Fu Treachery Press).