Lament of Prey By Scott Thomas Outlar

Hello to all the hawks
who have yet to have their fill,
and the vultures, too,
waiting for what’s left over.



Spoiled minds & spoiled hearts
lead to spoiled guts,
but it seems to be
that’s what nature intended
in this twisted realm
of divided time & space.



Dog eat dog
isn’t even the worst part;
it’s flesh unto flesh
in the fire.



Goodbye to all the dreams
that forgot how to conquer,
and the visions still
yet to crystallize in cancer.



Rotten bones & rotten marrow
flow in rotten rivers,
but that’s the taste
acidic blood delivers
when signs of sickness
flash neon & electric in the night.



Tail chase tail
isn’t the end of the story;
it’s a snake that never sheds
the fade to black.

Scott Thomas Outlar hosts the site 17Numa.com where links to his published poetry, fiction, essays, interviews, reviews, live events, and books can be found. He has been a weekly contributor for the cultural newsletter Dissident Voice since 2014. His fifth collection of poetry, Abstract Visions of Light, was released in 2018 through Alien Buddha Press. 

            Selah,
Scott Thomas Outlar