Justin Karcher contemplates the monster he has created
'Tis Pity You're Justin, Creator of Monsters
By JUSTIN KARCHER
Tonight we’re all having nervous breakdowns
changing our Facebook profile pictures every 15 minutes
each photo coming closer to the truth, a heart ripped
from the source, hopefully the blood dripping to the floor
will reveal where we’ve come from & where we need to go
a creepy castle on a shimmering mountaintop
in Buffalo’s Theater District where we play our parts
discarded objects great for a quick fix, but real risky
when it comes to mental health, how we’re always eating
plastic bags from Wegmans hoping we’ll eventually blow in the wind
like divinely inspired doves, ambassadors of peace
but things get in the way, cop cars beatboxing
in the hieroglyphic blur of not understanding the world
a static cluster gluing our feet to the street
a mob of angry villagers looking for the next song
it’s tough making sense of things, so we concoct schemes
in bed, at the bar, on the operating table
how to fall in love, how to defy nature, how to catch catharsis
like a disease, how to get revenge on your enemy & then there’s me
hypnotized by every dumb little thing I see
in my search for who the fuck knows
like standing in front of the closed AT&T store
in the middle of the night when it’s all locked up
so I’m staring through the windows looking like a creep
& thinking the store looks like a hospital nursery
full of newborns ‘cause the smartphones are so pure-looking
but deep down I know they’ll eventually be corrupted
by broken language, paranormal sexts & cruel voicemails
that undeclare our independence
in the most passive-aggressive way imaginable
‘cause eventually this city will be more cemetery than café
more laboratory than lovers’ lane
more necrophilia than rollercoaster aerobics
more November than the dog days of summer
what must we do to be saved?
what must we do to prevent the things
that slither out of our fingertips
from descending into chaos?
I don’t know
the other day, Melissa asked me
“You ever think you created a monster
with these theater poems?
Like people expect you to write one for every show”
yes
I did create a monster
but it’s a worthwhile monster
a way to stave off a breakdown
for me
& maybe everyone
I just pray
that we don’t lose ourselves in the process
or that villains won’t carve out our hearts
& hold them up to the rotting sun
like blood sacrifices
I just pray
that lightning bolts won’t betray us
when we attempt our flashy resurrections
comeback kids
crawling out of the shadows