“Venturing closer, / his talon was raised to attack Beowulf / where he lay on the bed; he was bearing in / with open claw when the alert hero’s / comeback and armlock forestalled him utterly.”

It's been a year of someone trying to make us great... again? How about a new year where we cast off the glinting chainmail and re-examine the words “hero” and “human.” Right here. Right now. Always.

Send us your heroes, your humans. We're here for them all.

2

After the election

Skeleton sits in the corner

counts: metacarpals, tibia

locates: coccyx, humerus

expects to expect: muscle, fat

and sweet

foul

drip

then restock reload skull, cage

think whetstone? blade?

1

Congress is in Session

When baboons bang their chests

We produce chimps to gorillas;

The congress, of debate dies

In favor of the smoke show, the banging of the drum,

the oohs and ahhs, the grunts and groans,

the elaborate mating rituals developed

By dying apes to retain

Power in their stance that has mud, shit, and fellow spider monkeys shoveling the muck as it spews out as fast as;

The grunts come out, elegantly until it's over

When we see the true side of primates

As they lead the charge we let them lead

And like lead in our paws we will be weighed down

Until a flood comes and we have no choice but

To let go;

Until the waters rushing around our nostrils we

Will inevitably fall back into the same swamp

Until we can no longer see.

Until then,

Let the baboons rise

For congress needs to hold true

To it's name.

1 - Daniel Leiser

2 - Ellen Santasiero, Art & Poem