PERFECT
In any world, zombies are perfection
They don’t attack each other just because
They don’t seem to mind sharing all their food
They don’t cheat each other in anything
They don’t fornicate and cause divisions
They don’t discriminate one single bit
In any world, zombies are perfection
They don’t try to hide what they really are
They don’t even lie to anyone’s face
They don’t worry about what they look like
They don’t hurry to where they are going
They don’t waste time “getting to know you” well
Yes, in any world, zombies are perfect
Much better than most live humans I know
REMEMBER
Remember when
Your very skin craved for life
You longed to feel it in your hands
You thrived to touch it with your fingers
You wanted to embrace it forever
You had it all figured out
Remember when
Your life was simple, uncomplicated
You and your partner made lots of love
You had only normal life to worry about
You felt that you could live forever
You had it all figured out
Remember? Remember? Remember?
Dismember! Dismember! Dismember!
ELVIRA SONNET NO. 2
Here she is now
Standing darkly against a full, bright moon
The kind that takes your last breath away
And replaces your lungs with burnt, black pancakes
Here she is now
Front and centerfold of every magazine
The kind that your momma warned you about
And your daddy asked to share pictures of
Here she is now
Displaying the goodness of her creator
The kind that makes your heart skip beats
And earns you beatings from your girlfriend
Here she is now
Don’t you know if death ever look so delicious?
ELVIRA SONNET NO. 6
Unpleasant dreams are not the ones I have of you
They are of wondering if Captain Kirk will steal my girlfriend
Unpleasant dreams are not the ones I have of you
They are of wondering if my mother will burn my comic books… again
Unpleasant dreams are not the ones I have of you
They are of wondering if I will have pimples all over my face
Unpleasant dreams are not the ones I have of you
They are of wondering if I am the one who shot JR
Unpleasant dreams are not the ones I have of you
They are of wondering if Poison is an all-girl band
Unpleasant dreams are not the ones I have of you
They are of wondering if Freddy Krueger is actually real
Unpleasant dreams are not the ones I have of you
They are of wondering if there will be enough words to say it
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Juan Manuel Pérez, a Mexican-American poet of indigenous descent and the current Poet Laureate for Corpus Christi, Texas (2019-2020), is the author of Another Menudo Sunday (2007), O’ Dark Heaven: A Response to Suzette Haden Elgin’s Definition of Horror (2009), WUI: Written Under the Influence of Trinidad Sanchez, Jr. (2011), Live From La Pryor: The Poetry of Juan Manuel Perez: A Zavala Country Native Son, Volume 1 (2014), and Sex, Lies, and Chupacabras (2015), as well as, the co-editor of The Call Of The Chupacabra (2018).
He is the 2011-2012 San Antonio Poets Association Poet Laureate and the Lone Star State’s only El Chupacabras Poet Laureate (For Life). The former Gourd Dancer for the Memphis Tia Piah Big River Clan Warrior Society is also a Pushcart Prize Nominee as well as a SEATTAH Scholar (Striving For Excellence And Accountability In The Teaching Of Traditional American History) through the University Of Dallas.
Juan is a ten-year Navy Corpsman/Combat Marine Medic with experience in the 1991 Persian Gulf War with the 2nd Marines and the 1992 Hurricane Andrew Relief Marine Air Group Task Force. This two-time Teacher of the Year, along with his wife, Malia (a three-time Teacher of the Year), is a co-founder of The House of the Fighting Chupacabras Press.
Currently, Juan worships his Creator, teaches public high school history, writes poetry, and chases chupacabras in the Texas Coastal Bend Area.
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