3 Poems for Orlando

IT MUST HAVE A DANCE GROOVE THAT RUNS ALL THE WAY THROUGH

by Joe Gutierrez

IT MUST NOT BE LONGER THAN 3:30
IT HAS TO BE SERVED ON A BED OF JASMINE RICE
TWO SOURCES OF HEAT MUST COME TOGETHER
YOU MAY CALL IT BLUE JUSTICE
IT MUST BE INFLAMMATORY
IT HAS TO BE WILD DOGS
YOU HAVE TO BRING NOPALES TO THE PARTY
THERE YOU WILL LOSE ALL SELF-CONTROL
YOU WILL LOSE ALL TRANS
ALL BROWN
ALL BLACK
CARAMEL DISCHARGE
DOGS WAITING IN THE CAR FOR THE ENGINE TO START
STAMP THE PSYCHIC PRICE
DESALINATE THE WATER
SOMEONE NEEDS TO TELL THE DOG
INCITE GAY PANIC
I TOO FIRST EXISTED IN THE BODEGA
BABY / DADDI / PRIVATE / PRINCESA
IT WAS A FAMILY COOKOUT
TOO MANY BITING HIPS
PANTY BOYS NO ONE HIRED
A MOUNTAIN EVERYONE KNEW
THAT ACTIVE VOLCANO
WE WAS PROUD TO SERVE IT

whose job is it

blueberry brushing the void
blueberry avoiding the void
self-portrait with void
it doesn’t matter lips said
how you touch it but where
at the party who is in attendance
the void the moonbounce
if by some means it is on fire
whose job is to put it out
if a cow decides to lie down
in the middle of the street
that is its decision
drive around or don’t
it is completely natural
wanting to kill back

Joe Gutierrez lives in Long Beach, CA. Find them on Twitter @gojibrry.