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Just a Kiss

by Gerard Varni

Ishmael? Fuck that punk; call me Judas,
The betrayer whose desirous lips brushed
Anointed flesh, marking it for certain
Resurrection; a wretch whose own hide was
Doomed to self-annihilation before
The birth-slime had even oozed from his lungs.
We are diminished by our desire
For innocence, and we debase those who
Possess it. What does that leave the traitor?
A rope, a tree, coins flung at dying light;
Then, a twitching silhouette splayed against
A bloated reddish moon, with head thrown back,
Mouth agape and eyes bulging toward heaven.

Gerard Varni: i write both fiction and poetry. i recently won the glimmer train stories award for new writers. my work has appeared in many print and online journals, including blue moon, cross connect, web del sol, exquisite corpse, the baltimore review and, happily, the danforth review.
 

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The Danforth Review is produced in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. All content is copyright of its creator and cannot be copied, printed, or downloaded without the consent of its creator. The Danforth Review is edited by Michael Bryson. Poetry Editors are Geoff Cook and Shane Neilson. Reviews Editor is K.I. Press. All views expressed are those of the writer only. International submissions are encouraged. The Danforth Review is archived in the National Library of Canada. ISSN 1494-6114. 

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We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts which last year invested $19.1 million in writing and publishing throughout Canada. Nous remercions de son soutien le Conseil des Arts du Canada, qui a investi 19,1 millions de dollars l'an dernier dans les lettres et l'édition à travers le Canada.