the wars beneath
the wars that wrack your knuckles
the wars that rub your ankles red
inside your work boots
the little wars for little things
each time you leave the house
the wars beneath the wars
the unknown future wars in your name
the unexcavated future wars
waged with your hands
the now wars - the wars in the moment
the pharmacutical side effect wars
the news feed wars
the every day wars served every day
through drive thru windows
the wars that bind your plowshares to the capital of others
the wars that take you
the wars that break you
the wars that make you
a little bit less
a little bit at a time
the drug wars
and the poverty wars
and all the wars that never seem to make
anyone better off
the far away wars
the wars at home
the giving up wars
and the wars against it
the boundary wars
and the border wars
and the grocery store wars
of attrition
the wars your grandfather fought
and the wars his father fought
and the wars your father fought
the wars your mother
and your grandmother
your sister
your daughter
and your wife
still fight
and finally
the wars for more
the class wars
the only wars
that ever
mattered
This poem originally appeared in the print edition of Locust Review 9. Social media splash image by Tish Turl and Adam Turl.
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