12 Anxieties for April 12th

By LIESL JOBSON

 

On my side of the glass
POLICEMAN KILLS CAT
are burglar bars
on the other side
“DR DEATH” ACQUITTED
a grille
beyond that
15 KILLED IN TRAIN BLAZE
a high wall
glass shards
BOMB IN PRETORIA HIGH COURT CHAMBERS
protrude underneath
an electric alarmed
PRIMARY SCHOOL HEADMASTER MURDERED AT HOME
fence outside
a bullet-proofed
PUBLIC PROSECUTOR RAPED AND STABBED TO DEATH
vested security
guard protecting
POLICE PARALYSED BY VEHICLE SHORTAGE
my fragile
razor wire gated
MALL COLLAPSE: PLANS NOT APPROVED
community peace
seems a lot
FAMILY DRINKS POISONED WATER
of insecurity
and too much fear
COPS CRUSH BOY SUSPECT’S HEAD
to keep out
seems too much
HUMAN BONES IN POLICE CELL
more anxiety
too much heartache
MAYOR COMMITS SUICIDE
to keep in.

 

 

Liesl Jobson is a writer, photographer, and musician living in Cape Town.

Click here to purchase Issue 04

12 Anxieties for April 12th

Related Posts

The parthenon in Nashville

March 2024 Poetry Feature: New Poems by Our Contributors

MATT DONOVAN
On my flight to Nashville, after / telling me the Parthenon in his town was far better / than the one in Greece, the guy seated beside me / in the exit row swore that Athena was an absolute / can’t-miss must-see. Her eyes will see into your soul, / he said, no goddamn joke.

picture of a bible opened up

February 2024 Poetry Feature

CORTNEY LAMAR CHARLESTON
There was tear gas deployed without a tear. There were / rubber bullets fired from weapons that also fire lethal rounds. There were / armored vehicles steering through the streets of the capital that stars our maps. // What we saw was only new to the people it was new to.

Headshot of Anne Pierson Wiese

Sharp Shadows

ANNE PIERSON WIESE
On our kitchen wall at a certain time / of year appeared what we called the sharp / shadows. / A slant of western light found / its way through the brown moult of fire / escape hanging on to our Brooklyn rental / building for dear life and etched replicas / of everything