OFFERING

The peace offering
from our shadow-deficient twins
was a bomb,
everyone’s elicit enthusiasm erased
by the explosion
televised live,
living rooms all across
the world
filled with a light
stranger than the sun
no one thought to look at anymore,

leaving the silent watchers blind,
their remote controls dead
in their once-strong hands.

TO SEE

I piggybacked on my neighbour’s
endless prayers, found myself
beneath God:
he looked at me
with prism-defying eyes
and said, “Yes,
there you are,”
before smiling
as a distracted parent
to a forgotten child,
then my neighbour said amen
and I was left standing
naked and colour-blind.

Edward Lee is a writer whose poetry, short stories, non-fiction, and photography have been published in magazines in Ireland, England, and America, including The Stinging Fly, Skylight 47, Acumen, and Smiths Knoll.  His debut poetry collection Playing Poohsticks On Ha’Penny Bridge was published in 2010. He is currently working towards a second collection. He also makes musical noise under the names Ayahuasca Collective, Lewis Milne, Orson Carroll, Blinded Architect, Lego Figures Fighting, and Pale Blond Boy. His blog/website can be found here.