Another two poems from Rich Murphy

Neighbor Relations

Catching a sunny shade of flush,
each pouch of air greets a palm,
while whistling into oblivion.
The flocks of angels compose
the floating wool of skies
at the cemetery’s prize.

 

Iris for cornea, the poke

of revenge exacts its violence
for beings alive: politics over heaven.
The blind party of thumbs punch
and hors d’oeuvres of deception
wrestle into grounds.

The diplomat of preemptive strikes
grabs attention of foe to farm
using foreign toil and soil.
The only hell singeing waits on
the taste buds of the victor —
over easy or shoe leather kisser.

Facing the Many Small Bangs

The freak planet among stars
seemed to require leaning
on crosses and crescents.
Step two left the lame
wielding crutches to maim
swingers with opposing limps
and occasional and avid walkers.
Propping gods by the armpits,
evangelists threaten with club mentality
deviation from rite routines:
Emergency wards surrounded
and flattened dwellings on tomorrow.
Martyred secularists lined the roads
holding olive branches between teeth.
Of course the butchers and bakers
represent clergy using reliable gadgets
to give moms and dads meaning.
But the butchers and bakers
stand in for high-tech innovators also.
Both limb loppers continue
to conduct inquisitions to garner
warriors on knees. Scheherazade,
the cosmic dancer, survives
children denying that the dark owns.

About Rich Murphy

The Apple in the Monkey Tree (Codhill Press) was Rich's first book. His second book Voyeur was published in 2009 (Award Winner 2008, Gival Press). Chapbooks include Family Secret (Finishing Line Press), Hunting and Pecking (Ahadada Books), Phoems for Mobile Vices (BlazeVox), Rescue Lines (Right Hand Pointing) and Great Grandfather (Pudding House Publications). Recent poetry may be found in Pennsylvania Review, Fjord Review, Otoliths, Epiphany, Euphony, The Straddler, James Dickey Review, and Trespass. Recent prose scholarship on poetics has been published in Imaginary Syllabus, Anthology chapters, Palm Press, Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning, The International Journal of the Humanities, Fringe Magazine, Reconfigurations: A Journal of Poetry and Poetics, The Journal of Ecocriticism, Folly Magazine, Imaginary Syllabus, (Palm Press), and “Reading Wisdoms: Mick Jagger, W.B.Yeats, and Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak” will be published by New Writing: The International Journal for the Practice and Theory of Creative Writing. Derek Walcott has remarked for the cover of Rich's book Voyeur: “Mr. Murphy is a very careful craftsman in his work, a patient and testing intelligence, one of those writers who knows precisely what he wants his style to achieve. His poetry is quiet but packed, carefully wrought, not surrealistically wild, and its range not limited but deliberately narrow. It takes aim.” Erin McKnight’s review may be read at Prick of the Spindle: http://www.prickofthespindle.com/reviews/3.4/small_presses/murphy/voyeur.htm. Alvin Malpaya’s review may be read at Rattle http://rattle.com/blog/2010/08/voyeur-by-rich-murphy/. Janelle Adsit’s review in The Pedestal Magazine may be read at http://www.thepedestalmagazine.com/gallery.php?item=11965. Erica Goss’ review may be found in Main Street Rag, winter 2010 issue. “Body of Evidence” was 2011finalist Eudaimonia Poetry Review Chapbook Prize, and “Crib Sheets” was 2011 finalist Teacher’s Voice Poetry Chapbook Prize. I live in Marblehead, MA.

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