side effects to walking

the fatigue

is how i place my head

on a pillow

& minimize myself

into a body

that doesn't hold the weight

of a structure

that has been worn down

from months

of bad weather

—my physique is mistaken

for a sarcophagi

& archeologists

question

the historical accuracies

once they begin

exhuming bones

john compton (b. 1987), author of 17 books/chapbooks, is a gay poet/writer who lives in kentucky with his husband josh and their dogs and cats, and mice. his latest full length book is "my husband holds my hand because i may drift away & be lost forever in the vortex of a crowded store" published with Flowersong Press (dec 2024); his latest chapbook is "melancholy arcadia" published with Harbor Editions (april 2024). he has been published in ONE ART more times then he has fingers on one hand. you can find his books, some poems and other things here: https://linktr.ee/poetjohncompton