MAXIMUS

Real Estate

My one true love 
grew up to sell real estate 
in one of the worst corners of the world. 
I imagine her moving through 
a succession of abandoned buildings 
under a red sky. 
I imagine her stumbling
into a tiger pit
and me, tossing her a rope
of braided vines.
I imagine rescuing her 
from a ravenous wolverine
and her cradling my torn body.
I imagine turning into a tree 
and her chopping me down, 
building a house, 
and living inside me forever.

Old Barns

Inside the old barn
are two old barns.
Inside those two barns
are unincorporated municipalities
without legal status
and a small airport
where the occasional demagogue 
flies in and lies and a dog 
barks through the night.
Inside the night 
kids draw up plans for a catapult.
The payload is a tackle box.
Inside the tackle box 
is a snowball fight
and inside the snow 
it is very quiet
and there are many fawns,
all very still, awaiting 
their mothers’ return.

Brad Liening is the author of Deep State Come Shining (Publication Studio Hudson). He lives in Minneapolis and at bradliening.blogspot.com.