Here’s what I got done on my lunch break today. I’m really happy with how these kinds of poems are turning out, even though it’s been years since I’ve written a lot of this style. Enjoy!
punch
the one who stores your soul inside his ring
punched the ring into a wall
the bone in his finger broke, the ring shattered
what will you do now that you`re free?
a field of souls scattered about
invisible though they are, through the fog
get fewer likes and views
she sees you, through the fog
grass here is tall
wheat sloshes in the wind
you can’t make out anything
not his face
not his broken hand
you can’t see anything as he approaches
dracula
a vertical glossy sea reflects beams of the sunrise
windows through which we observe the red breasted desk sitter
he pants for coffee like no other animal
like vlad dracula
impales quarterly reports on pikes stood up
at the center of a roundabout
afront 2600 officebuilding drive
our sun rises red as the ink on the books
necronomicon ex profit
at noon
the buzzards drift in to monitor his progress
but that’s only happening once a month this year
the promise made to the sitter
bound by steel chain
cloth mesh
small increases in numbers on his smart phone
will never be made
success
i can see how you’ve failed and
know it makes you dislike me
for all of time
after i’m dead, floating
on gray clouds of purgatory
i continue to see
i voice
why? because there is no way to succeed
you don’t, i don’t
you think someone appreciates you
when you fall in love
but after a few years
they don’t look into your eyes like they did
your hands don’t stick together
with that wet ectoplasm
you both accept these things
so i know you can see how i’ve failed
it makes me hate you
for eternity
when you’re sifting through
beach sands in heaven
searching for that lost necklace
the one you wore at our wedding
i know you see
please don’t tell me anything
just this once
escort
sometimes duty calls for you to escort
the bare elephant man through the streets
to tell him he looks like the rest of us
pat him on the back when he makes a wise purchase
despite the draw of rebellion
one must perform things considered to be duties
to hold together the rest of us
elephant men
to keep us thinking we’re healthy and alright
looking in the mirror to see gritty bone
protruding from your lopsided forehead
must not turn your gut
or alter your ability
we must take our turn
know how to recognize what must be done
for fate and fortuna constantly try to trick
all
the elephant folk
lamp
i climbed
out of my lamp
people were
nicer
than I expected
so was
the weather
it could
trick you
into thinking
it’s safe
that it’s safe
to kiss her
even though
there’s a
ruby red
cold sore
get back
in the lamp
smile
i see my hand pulling up scoops
of cold stream water
blessing my dry throat with them
they see my skinless hand
a skeleton rubbing tiny drips of
lava onto my melting, floppy lips
all i can do is smile now
show my charred gums
A. M. Langston 
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