“The Taxidermist”: Poetry from The Future by Jonas Gomez Tijerino

The Taxidermist

This city of ours, whose land reaches across its two lakes like the arm of a drowning Man, is burdened by the Taxidermist and his tourniquet.
For a testament to the heart of our nation resides at the heart of our city, dividing it, and Like
the foxes and snakes decorating its offices, what the Taxidermist leaves inside is
Counterfeit.
Blood flows left to right …
The Taxidermist’s testament cuts the flow of blood in our city, for prosperity ends where It
begins
And the rest is left to suffocate.
The Taxidermist would like to save the drowning man but does nothing more than Present him a hollow bluebird and
a word of encouragement.
The Taxidermist complains that the arm looks unwell while tightening the tourniquet,
contemplating which material to
use next.

Jonas Gomez Tijerino is a Wisconsin-based poet and future educator currently working toward a BA in Creative Writing and Communication Arts at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He is a PEOPLE Program scholar with Nicaraguan roots. Additional work of his is in Hobart.

Image: commons.wikimedia.org

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