One themed poem by Joseph DiLella

Blasphemy
by Joseph DiLella

He

hung by his penis, wrists, and ankles.

She

hung by her nipples, neck, and toes.

And all the sidewalk traffic that night

either laughed, giggled or chuckled under their breath

at the uncommon sight.

The bachelor party quintet

pulled their beaten-up, gray ’84 Chevy van

to a dead stop by the curb

and jumped out

to gawk, snicker and guffaw until

the gray hair wiggled her walker close,

bowling over one of the drunkards

against the public display case.

“It’s SICK, SICK, SICK

I say,” of which she did quite loudly,

Her brown, patched fist

pounding out each word

to a quick, symphonic cadence

against the thin vibrating barrier

separating herself

and the others

from the horror of it all.

Gaining moral certitude,

physical exactitude

the humped back one

preached to the growing sidewalk congregation,

converting many to her point of view

until three glass bottles

Pilsner’s finest beer

were thrown by the earlier heretics.

Two exploded by her pigeon toed feet

soaking wrinkled hosiery;

the other shattered

the clear curtain

separating art

from life.

And if one were to look ever so closely

beyond the jeering and applause from the crowd,

one could detect

faintly and ever so slightly

both faceless, life-size

paper machete mannequins in the display windows

smiling . . .

Author bio:

Joseph DiLella is currently an assistant professor at Eastern New Mexico University, teaching Bilingual Education and Reading. He has published poetry and short stories in El Portal, a university literary magazine. Over the past ten years, he has written many a book (sports, educational, poetry, etc.) that he hopes will one day will find their rightful place in bookstores across the land. He has also penned teleplays, screenplays and pitched story ideas to Paramount Studios (Star Trek: Enterprise and Star Trek: Voyager). Joseph has held panels at the famous San Diego International Comic Con called 'How to Pitch and Write for Star Trek.' For Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (vol. 10). His short story, Cheating Destiny, was an 'Alternate Selection' by Dean Wesley Smith.