What Hides Behind Your Face Mask? A poem by Richard LeDue

Maybe you’re a wanted serial killer,
thrilled at a chance to leave
your uncle’s basement,
to stand six feet away from those
who smell just like your first victim;
their scared eyes reminding you
of Mary (not her real name,
but you were always bewitched
by religious motifs
and couldn’t be bothered to check her purse
afterwards), whose bones now live
in a forest, conversing daily with worms,
like the ones your father
baited hooks with, while he hummed
the theme to “Hockey Night in Canada,”
your mother a photo in his wallet-
or are you someone with a cough,
who should have stayed home?

……………

Richard LeDue lives in Norway House, Manitoba with his wife and son. His poems have appeared in various publications throughout 2019, and more work is forthcoming throughout 2020, including a chapbook from Kelsey Books.

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