all the good men

all the good men
i used to know
are on the internet
talking about god
how finding god has changed
their lives
they don’t talk about
the underage women they lured into woods
the women whose asses they pinched
in bars and clubs
the cigarettes that they
threw into overpriced drinks
when no one would dance with them
they talk about how jesus has saved them
they show pictures
of their beautiful kids
and their beautiful wives
beautiful sundays
in front of beautiful church
there is no mention about that hooker
they tricked into blow jobs
then threw her two cheeseburgers out the car window
to compensate for her trouble and time
all the good men
i used to know
are on the internet
talking about patriotism
and america
standing for the anthem
a couple of them would’ve stop 9/11
if only they were on the planes
they don’t talk about that woman
who dress they tried sticking their hands up
in that bar on craig street
the day after the fourth of july
the way she yelled for the bouncers
and how they scattered
like leaves
onto firecracker streets
that are so safe for them to prowl like wolves
no, they don’t mention her at all
instead they put up pictures
of the american flag
erect like a toadstool prick
and jesus
jesus and that fucking flag
fireworks bursting
behind a meme
of a bible verse
telling all of us sinners
still out there
to get right in this life
because the end
is nigh.

John Grochalski is the author of the poetry collections, The Noose Doesn’t Get Any Looser After You Punch Out (Six Gallery Press 2008), Glass City (Low Ghost Press, 2010), In The Year of Everything Dying (Camel Saloon, 2012), Starting with the Last Name Grochalski (Coleridge Street Books, 2014), and The Philosopher’s Ship (Alien Buddha Press, 2018). He is also the author of the novels, The Librarian (Six Gallery Press 2013), and Wine Clerk (Six Gallery Press 2016). Grochalski currently lives in Brooklyn, New York, in the part that voted for Trump, so may God have mercy on his soul.