Two Poems by Mark Hendrickson

 

Decade of the Dead (or I Love the 80’s)

 

Zombie enlightenment

Rampant and spreading

I get my brains from others

 

Smoking to breathe

Tanning for warmth

Cruising to connect

 

Dragging my feet     

Gnashing my teeth

Rotting for fun

 

Never waking     

Never sleeping

Lurching primal mindless

 

Always thirsting    

Ever hungry

Cold and heartless    

 

Nihilistic numbing nightmare

Hedonistic hangover

Apocalyptic apoplectic autonomic

 

Thrill of gore

Bite of death

Immortal decay

 

Joy of denial

Sin sensation

God damned

 

 

Just Another Mean Case of the D's

 

Disconnected down doldrums: dribs, drabs. Disproportionate displeased dissonance denied desiring, disturbed discontentment demoralized. Distrusting dystopian discord, disgusted dysfunctional distress. Disenfranchised despondent despairing. Disembodied deconstructed disease. Detached, decommissioned. Disillusioned, defeated. Deluded? Daily.

Mark Hendrickson (he/him/his) is a poet and writer in the Des Moines area. His work has appeared in Variant Lit, Five Minutes, Leaf, Cosmic Daffodil, Lothlorien, and others. Mark worked for many years as a mental health technician in a locked psychiatric unit. His background includes music, healthcare, and psychology. Connect with him @MarkHPoetry or on his website: www.markhendricksonpoetry.com