Darren C. Demaree is the author of eight poetry collections, most recently ''Two Towns Over' (March 2018), which was selected as the winner of the Louise Bogan Award by Trio House Press. He is also the Managing Editor of the Best of the Net Anthology and Ovenbird Poetry.
His poems have appeared, or are scheduled to appear in numerous magazines/journals, including Hotel Amerika, Diode, Meridian, New Letters, Diagram, and the Colorado Review.
Darren currently lives and works in Columbus, Ohio.
***
with an empathy so fatal #79
everything is distant
from a torn sleeve
even
the shaking hand
that holds the cloth
trophy
is distant how glad
i am to know
that all violence
is permanent
in that way
each act so forceful
that it creates
fresh oceans
fresh edges of earth
for all those names
to disappear over
all salt is good salt
***
with an empathy so fatal #80
i showed my children
the hooks
so they could decide
what to do
with the hooks
& after they
decided
to pierce their own
lips
with those sharp
hooks
i understood
that their inelegant
kindnesses would
cost them terribly
that cost is always
there
& i am proud of
them
for understanding
that
it’s not fair for
them
it’s not fair for us
it’s not fair
but that is our gift
to be consumed
without
asking about fairness
***
with an empathy so fatal #81
our tongues
are to be eaten
by the voiceless
the blood lost
is to be spit back
for those
that need it do
not waste thread
on our wounds
***
with an empathy so fatal #115
there is a difference
between empathy
& sacrifice
but it’s useless
to be so gifted
that the difference
might matter to you
it doesn’t matter
to me i am gifted
enough to be alive
that means i can
think about you
without considering
the assassins
that are watching
with an empathy so fatal #116
i look at you
exactly how i feel
i see you
are hungry
i am hungry as well
shall we eat
together
at the pizza place
that takes
only cash
i’ve been carrying
this twenty
for a haircut
i don’t need yet
let’s eat pizza
***
with an empathy so fatal #117
i walked out of my
house
to join you erratic
bodies
be un-gentle be my
sun