My head’s a crazy place
to be tonight 
A friend 
recommended a poem
and I ended up
studying war
for two hours
Words kept repeating 
“multiple fragmentation”
“ground casualty”
“body recovered”

I learned that
the Butcher of Kentucky 
was born and educated
in my hometown 
learned that he cheated 
KY pig farmers
of $300,000
in a single month
in 1864
that he abandoned 
his wounded
and they were
murdered in their
hospital beds

trying to clear
my mind
and the only things 
that work
are great 80s songs

Rob Base and DJ E-Z Rock
“It Takes Two 
(To Make Things Go Right)”
( that was THE skating rink song)
‘Let me clear my throat’

rings out as
“The 900 Number”
fills the background
(and I slip into the Ed Lover Dance)

I just wanna dance
and sing as
loudly as possible 
I need to shake
some things loose
I need to get
rattled
in a good way
I need to know
that inspite

of sadistic motherfuckers
and cowardly bastards,
there’s some joy
to be had
some moment of
clarity and frivolity
some moment that
can repair a soul
that can allow
me to muster out
and temporarily forget
the savage nature
within us all
– Jessica Swafford