Blow Up

by Gloria Frym

fear is animal
no other mammal thinks sure I’ll

strap this crap to my chest
and jump off the deep end

for the clan

martyrs, no one cares for them.
such desperation is hard to love

putting yourself in the path of
destruction purposely

blowing up children
no god would sanctify

it’s not written anywhere

the gods are terribly jealous
of self-imposed suffering

they insist on doing the work
alone