John Sweet

jackboot sonnet

lover tied to the foot of the bed, and he needs to
understand that there are always choices

the beatles or
the stones, right?

in the mouth or up the ass, and always
that need to take everything
a few steps too far

an election year, let’s say

a rapist priest or a junkie pedophile, and
does it make it easier if the kid left
weeping on the basement floor isn’t yours?

fuck
yes

the best part of pain is always the
ability to give it away, and why else
would you worship some lily white
                             crucified eunuch?

why else would you watch this
pregnant women get beaten to death
instead of stepping in to help?

there is no greater lie than the one
that can be passed off on
the guilty as the truth

John Sweet sends greetings from the rural wastelands of upstate NY. He is a firm believer in writing as catharsis, and in compassionate nihilism which, as luck would have it, has all the best bands. His published collections include NO ONE STARVES IN A NATION OF CORPSES (2020 Analog Submission Press) and THERE’S ONLY ONE WAY THIS IS GOING TO END (Cyberwit, 2023).