John Destalo

John Destalo Jun 2020

it is crying.

this country.

you don’t hear.

the tears.

your brain.

is blocked.

filled with.

images of.

yourself.

you destroy.

everything.

to make.

yourself.

appear.

bigger.

because you.

are so.

small.

John Destalo Jun 2020

smart (insightful)

the reluctance
to be

you don’t fit
in this place

no one will
understand you

but you will
understand them

in ways they
don’t understand

themselves

this may not
go so well

so keep your
mouth shut

and write poetry

John Destalo Jun 2020

Siberia is 100

today

we do not know
the future

we do know

it will be different
than the past

ice is melting
glass is shattering

the pain of
the planet

matches

the pain of
the people

none of us
are perfect

but we need
to learn how

to heal if
we want to

live as

the people
on this planet

John Destalo Jun 2020

don't

an admonition
to a child

we learn
so much

from each
other

to be shy
and never

try to
be more

than our
place

we were
placed

before we
knew

our place
and now

we know
our place

so we
don’t

try

John Destalo Jun 2020

work/life

I have to
believe

the work
is somehow

separate

from the
one who

created it
there are

so many
things in

art
science
politics
philosophy
psychology
etc.

that I love
and I don’t

love or
even really
know the

people who
created it

and I know
I am not

perfect I
would hate

if you had
to love me

to love
my work

John Destalo Jun 2020

jump

as a child
I did

I would
jump

everything

we had
nothing

I could go
nowhere

so I would
jump

everything
and

imagine I
was going

somewhere

John Destalo Jun 2020

nails (the nine inch variety)

the drum holds
everything in place

the room
is dark

at least the
room in my

head

you don’t ask
them to enter

they don’t care

they force their
way in

and take up
residence

for as long as
they choose

and when they
finally leave

they leave
something

behind

the drum holding
everything

in place