RADIATION CENTO*

What would you think if I sang out of tune?
Would you stand up and walk out on me?
Well there’s so many sinking now
rape, murder, it’s just a shot away, it’s just a shot away
there must be some kind way out of here,
You gotta keep thinking
You can make it through these waves
lean on me when you’re not strong. I’ll be your friend. I’ll help you carry on.
So darlin, darlin, stand by me.

GARDEN CORONAVIRUS CENTO*

There’s something happening here;

what it is ain’t exactly clear.

I learned as a child not to trust in my body;

I’ve carried that burden through my life.

I see something of myself in everyone.

Dark holes in the spirit world…

Death’s no stranger,

no stranger than the life I’ve lived.

Use me till you use me up.

Use me while you can;

We all have to be pried loose; and we

got to get ourselves back to the garden.

*cento is latin for patchwork garment. it’s a poetic form that uses quotations from other works, in this case, songs. A cento essentially legitimizes plagiarism.