“Writing the Apocalypse” is a weekly series featuring the poems of Puma Perl, with subject matter influenced by her experiences as a NYC resident during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bunkers| By Puma Perl

——————————————————————————–

I move through the country

from my bunker to yours

Nothing to do but get drunk,

fuck, and write poems

We stumble through the desert

half-naked, clothing shredded,

bodies torn and bleeding

Burn the boundaries

Tear down the gates

Trash the safe words

We talk in screams

of pain and ecstasy,

no difference anymore

between the two

Fuck me hard

Hit me harder

Make me know I’m alive

Don’t ask, just take

what is left

Everything we want is here

and all that we need is more

We never know the time

The moon shines

The sun rises

The light fades

We live in desert darkness

The air turns cooler

The mountains melt

Somewhere, pavements crumble

and everything is perfect.

© Puma Perl, 03/27/2020

Puma Perl is a poet and writer, with five solo collections in print. The most recent is Birthdays Before and After (Beyond Baroque Books, 2019.) She is the producer/creator of Puma’s Pandemonium, which brings spoken word together with rock and roll, and she performs regularly with her band Puma Perl and Friends. She’s received three New York Press Association awards in recognition of her journalism, and is the recipient of the 2016 Acker Award in the category of writing. Her most recent books can be found by clicking here.

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