this is a place
of deception
of seduction
a place where honesty
denies its existence
where people mistrust
themselves
because they can’t trust
the god in their heart
a place where
hell is ubiquitous
as wild flowers in spring
a place where words
are wrung like rags
until all our blood
has drained
into the earth
where we stand
(April 15, 2024)
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