War 2022

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no one knows where
kindness hides in the minds
of leaders in the lives of
followers anterior to the motives
of police armed against shame
inside tyrants with armies armed
against mercy in the souls of beggars
who murder choosers

He cried
she screamed
baby keened
dog squealed in pain
can’t find the cat
Raggedy Ann’s burned face

Living room
dead room
kitchen gone
playroom destroyed
feathers
papers
where did our bedroom go

Holy Father
Prince of Peace
where are you
napping

Context nuance complexity
censored forbidden forsaken
concealed Top Secret
cancelled

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Charlie Brice won the 2020 Field Guide Poetry Magazine Poetry Contest and placed third in the 2021 Allen Ginsberg Poetry Prize. His sixth full-length poetry collection is Miracles That Keep Me Going (WordTech Editions, 2023). His poetry has been nominated three times for the Best of Net Anthology and the Pushcart Prize and has appeared in Atlanta Review, The Honest Ulsterman, Ibbetson Street, The Paterson Literary Review, Impspired Magazine, Salamander Ink Magazine, and elsewhere. Read other articles by Charlie.