Justin Karcher

by Justin Karcher

A patient tells me that if insurance doesn’t
cover the procedure, he won’t go through
with it, that he’ll just live with blood
in his pee. I’m speechless as I watch him
walk away into the arms of no one.

I retreat into the breakroom and eat
a slice of someone’s leftover retirement cake

and as my sweet tooth shakes
I read about leper colonies
how they issued their own money
in the belief that allowing lepers to handle
regular money could spread the disease

not unlike the wild horses eating firecrackers
in our backyards. When they run, they explode
and a hand appears from heaven to sweep away
the body parts. The way we pretend
not to see anything.

Justin Karcher (Twitter: @justin_karcher, Bluesky: @justinkarcher.bsky.social) is a Best of the Net- and Pushcart-nominated poet and playwright from Buffalo, NY. He is the author of several books, including Tailgating at the Gates of Hell (Ghost City Press, 2015). Recent playwriting credits include The Birth of Santa (American Repertory Theater of WNY) and The Buffalo Bills Need Our Help (Alleyway Theatre). Justin’s website is justinkarcherauthor.com.

by Justin Karcher

I’m stuffing my face with the best
Vietnamese food in Buffalo
when Chris tells me old kidneys
stay inside your body when you have
a transplant. He is skinnier
than the last time I saw him

and I wonder how many of us
will disappear completely
in the months to come.

After dinner, I walk by
the old KeyBank, which is now
a Trump pop-up store
and in the parking lot
shirtless methheads are hotwiring
what’s left of the sun.

Justin Karcher (Twitter: @justin_karcher, Bluesky: justinkarcher.bsky.social) is a Best of the Net- and Pushcart-nominated poet and playwright born and raised in Buffalo, NY. He is the author of several books, including Tailgating at the Gates of Hell (Ghost City Press, 2015). Recent playwriting credits include The Birth of Santa (American Repertory Theater of WNY) and The Buffalo Bills Need Our Help (Alleyway Theatre). Check out his website: justinkarcherauthor.com.