by Lu Chekowsky
fuck ‘em those assholes with their stupid dicks
in charge of us all glad to kill us for a buck
they don’t know shit about love
and they’re ugly too
so ugly that’s how they get so mean
their mothers never loved them and the girls are too smart
i feel bad for them almost
baby men in gold rooms crying themselves to sleep
so afraid they don’t know how to feel afraid
they really thought it’d be all suits and handshakes and pussy george clooney or something
i could’ve told them keeping people alive was hard work
but joke’s on them and nobody asked me
all that power gives them those sad boners we’re goners
but i imagine i’d have a boner too if i were them
a real pretty fat one with veins throbbing purple
exploding out of my designer wool dress slacks could you even imagine
it’d be so fantastic to do anything
without caring about anyone else
how free i’d be too with no fingerprints or heart
it’s the bones they have to worry about now
the piles of bones just piling can’t explain those away
all these little boys with wet toilet paper stuck to their shoes
we know what they don’t
that ugliness isn’t good for business
that’s why we’re always smearing lipstick on our teeth plucking endless chin hairs
making jello molds for bad neighbors
if i were being honest though
i’d tell you the most surprising thing is that i never thought
i’d live long enough to see this again
rotting bodies stacked and counted
everywhere the echo of anger and applause
Lu Chekowsky is an Emmy-winning writer and creative director who built a successful career in media through gut intuition and addiction to approval. Lu has been a writer in residence at MASS MoCA in Massachusetts, Gullkistan in Laugarvatn, Iceland and SPACE on Ryder Farm in Brewster, NY. In 2020, she attended the Tin House Summer Workshop with Saeed Jones and won the Pigeon Pages Essay Contest, judged by Morgan Jerkins. Her work can be seen in Bending Genres, The Main Review, Hobart and at lchekowsky.com.