people walk softly
and believe they still
have a chance to live
fearless garudas root
like pigs through collapsed flowers
thinking of no one
but themselves
armies swarm at the border
in the capital
there is much swatting of flies
that crushes us all
Robert Tremmel lives and writes in Ankeny, Iowa. He’s published poems, academic articles, and five collections of poetry, including The Records of Kosho the Toad (Bottom Dog Press, 2018). His most recent collection is The Return of the Naked Man (Brick Road Poetry Press, 2021), which won the Brick Road Poetry Prize.
