Dear Whatever Minor Powers That Be (pt. II)
by Matt Schroeder

      because of course life’s dirty
   tricks are reserved for when things are
finally going wellbecause of course
you can check every boxbe highly
qualified & still be ignored in the eyes
of a monolithic system that discounts
your entire nation       because of

course you can go from loved to stray
back to lovedto stray
again & the streets will have nothing
to say for themselves& those
who took you in will be elsewhere
mouths full of laughter

lowercase god   I am defeated
whatever minor powers that beplease

I knew things would get bad again
only I had hoped there might be a
little more time to stuff the bank
a little more time to set my affairs
in order

but if there is not& if
this is to be the grave I am to lie in
take what’s left of memake
some use of this constant betrayal
of a bodyof a life

I know I ask too often for too much

& know that asking for help this often
results in exactly the opposite of help
but this askingthis palm pressing
is the only hope I have left at a spark
to set fire to the kindling I’ve become

致那些小势力们（第二部分）

翻译：诗验室

                当然生活的肮脏

  伎俩总在事情进展顺利时

露出爪牙          你当然可以

检查每个盒子      一边高度

胜任  一边仍被低估了

全体国民的庞大系统

而忽略                你当

然可以从被爱到被弃

     回到被爱       再到

被弃        街道将一言

不发                    那些

曾经收留你的人将在他处

            嘴里塞满讥笑

小写的上帝        我已认输

不管是什么样的小势力    拜托了

我知道事情会再次变糟

但我只是希望有

多一点的时间往银行里塞钱

多一点的时间来把我的事情

安排好

            但如果没有        如果

这就是我要躺的坟墓

那么请带走我剩下的一切   试试

利用一个身体  一个生命

不断的背叛

我知道我太经常提出过多请求

也知道这么经常寻求帮助

会招来相反的结果

但是这个请求    这只按着的手掌

是要用来点燃我已成为的火焰

仅剩的唯一希望