Jared Pearce

Posture

If I sit up straight I don’t look so
fat, and if I show up early
I’m keen, and if I get it in on time
I’m all the smarter.

If I kick and barter, I look
harder, and if I raise my voice some
back off, and if I get my hands
on the numbers I’ll wring

their necks, pluck their
feathers, serve fried, roasted,
shredded—I’ll be the chief
of public health and elections,

herding smart chickens.

Jared Pearce's books include Down Their Spears (Cyberwit) and The Annotated Murder of One (Aubade). For more information about the author, please visit: https://jaredpearcepoetry.weebly.com.