EAT OR DIE
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Ren and Aki, identical. born 7 seconds apart
rice paddy marsh village near Tiananmen park
poor and humble. born to struggle through a destiny darkened
breathing symbols of the coldness in an emperor's heart
Ren would carve rocks until their edges were sharp
write his world into cherrywood to leave it a mark
while Aki carved those rocks into a usable blade
threatening his classmates when excluded from games
two in the same. you know how the rest of it goes
twin genetics exposed, ye olde environmentalist woes
young adults working hard to set a table for 4
but approached their objectives in a dissimilar form
Ren would swim in the lake and wrangle dinner for days
Aki walked. saved his spearheads for a fisherman's face
both resistant to change. they would argue and scream
but their folks remaining fed is where they always agreed.
achieved the same ends, through a separate device:
Ren was married at 20. Aki slept with his wife
there was love, there was deviance, a pulsing disdain
Ren grew tired of playing Jiminy and pulling a chain
took his brother on a pilgrimage to gather some grain
past the fields, past the forests, unfamiliar terrain
Aki stopped. asked Ren where they were headed and why
he'd promised Ma and Pa to have their dinner at 5
Aki's face soon twisted into fear and surprise
his little brother - dagger in hand and tears in his eyes
whispered something quiet. something shameful and sad, then
Ren became an only child with a wave of the hand.
dinnertime at Ren's - tonight's trout and filet
many moons after Aki slipped and drowned in the lake
there was a knock on the door. Pa answered. he swooned,
cooling flesh now at the feet of an assassin in blue
dark eyes behind a mask. wiped the blood from his boot
held his knife to Ma. said to Ren, reward or rebuke
Ren pleaded, take it all. argued reason and logic
said he didn't need to do this. told him he was beyond it
what progress he made didn't matter at all
the second Ma's spinal fluid splattered his wall..
gentle childen. strong providers, innocent souls
pressured into murder as the dissonance grows
sacrificed for peace of mind. discovered remorse
poetic justice lives inside the edge of a sword
so with his dying breath,
Ren said goodbye and welcomed his fate
while the killer unmasked -
sat down, and fixed him a plate.
DEADMAN
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Zack Wicks for president
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