"Disturbing the Peace" and "Mr Ray Gun"
Disturbing the Peace
There’s a man
I know
all brittle nutrition, terrible testosterone
baby-blue eyes and generous lips;
a prisoner to his birth and nature
an escapee from wars without cause
He was known to worship
women and at the local temple
where Pullman and Rowling are forbidden
for suggesting magic can be yours
and salvation isn’t from the gods
who don’t exist or died
in our imagination
which should be banned too
lest it make us monsters
So he followed faithfully
unedited and unedified
and ended up upended
outrageously raving and outwardly ravenous
for effective affection
a demeaning desire and demeanour
though he found it
eventually
in the unspeakable
act
he committed
so
happily.
There’s a man.
I know.
Mr Ray Gun
His speech is a sonic
Weapon amplifying
Sizzling, buzzing, zig
zag
ging
Pulverising propulsion com
pound
ing
A painful lash and crash
smash
ing
Precise, intricate machinery
tic
king
Scintillating, pleasing, messy
and mesmeri
sing.
Mind-b
end
ing, ticklingly seductive
inductive
inducing,
Manipulative.
***
He used his weapon
To get elected, his new position
amplifying his words ALL THE MORE.
Imprinting, impuning, imposing
Changing perceptions of re
a li ty.
Re la ta bi-li-ty
The very laws of physics
Cos it’s all relative, right?
Or is it left?
Rightleftrightleftsquadhalt
Back and forth, may the 4th be with us.
Sorry to attack-drone on.
Take this dictation down,
Young lady, on my knee.
***
Violence is
an art
a mistress
a discipline
a drug
a liberation
an end
a means
cancellation
the end.
A J Dalton (www.ajdalton.eu) is a UK-based writer. He’s published the Empire of the Saviours trilogy with Gollancz Orion, The Satanic in Science Fiction and Fantasy with Luna Press, the Darks Woods Rising and Digital Desires poetry collections, and other bits and bobs. He lives with his monstrously oppressive cat named Cleopatra. A J recommends Scope.
