John Sweet

nothing that was ever mine to give away

feels like something
missing, like
a part of my life, maybe that
one perfect summer that
never came, and it feels
              like the idea of
        redemption should
        mean more

feels like someone
else’s suicide

like van morrison,
late ‘69

an apology from
my father

doesn’t seem too
much to ask
from a dead man

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).