Iowa Writes
MICHAEL BLAND Hindsight
A busload of South American diplomats? At least you're original this time. With two well-placed shots, I undo your threat faster than a frat boy unhooks a freshman's bra. As diplomats scatter, you run away, your roar petulant and weak. I chase you through the park, shouting for you to stop. Do you ever listen? No. I didn't think evil equaled dumb, but I'm starting to wonder. You zig, then zag, across a busy road before snatching a teen from a passing jeep, holding her up by her ponytails as if she was a screaming, twitchy prize. Did you see what was in the distance behind you? Apparently not. Amongst the squeal of car tires and twitchy teenage prize, as cell phone owners click pics like OCD patients, I implore you to drop the girl and surrender. "Never," you cry. The girl's tears transport me to when my teenage love was sacrificed by a sadist in green. I react with a determination I'd lacked then, ripping her from your grasp with a blast of webbing not caring about her hair loss, flinging her to safety, then truss you up like a tasty snack. You snarl through my web, threatening to destroy me. Dumb. I slingshot your scaly ass into the State pen behind you, dropping you into the center courtyard. Snarl on that.
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About Iowa Writes
Since 2006, Iowa Writes has featured the work of Iowa-identified writers (whether they have Iowa roots or live here now) and work published by Iowa journals and publishers on The Daily Palette. Iowa Writes features poetry, fiction, or nonfiction twice a week on the Palette.
In November of 2008, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) designated Iowa City, Iowa, the world's third City of Literature, making the community part of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network.
Iowa City has joined Edinburgh, Scotland and Melbourne, Australia as UNESCO Cities of Literature.
Find out more about submitting by contacting iowa-writes@uiowa.edu
MICHAEL BLAND Michael earned his bachelor's degree in finance from Indiana University. He attended the Advanced Novel Writing and Novel: The Next Draft workshops at the University of Iowa in 2012 and 2013, where he studied with Susan Taylor Chehak and Sands Hall. He's a banker by day and a writer by night. This week we are celebrating Michael's "Superhero Poems": Hindsight, Masked, and Bring It. |