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Questions for the Sculptor
Sage Justice

Who are the angels
 A: Beggars cupping hot thermoses lapping
      up milk with shriveled tongues
Who are the devils
 A: There are none
Then who commits the atrocities
 A: Swines in uniforms squealing for stolen mothers
Who are the cherubs
 A: Skeletons cutting out Valentines
           with safety scissors
Who are the ghosts
 A: City rats scouring empty nests in human
      skulls retching bile and tar
What is heaven
 A: A blank canvas
What is hell
 A: She’s sealing letters with red wax
Then who is the punisher
 A: The cracked silver hand mirror buried in the backyard
And who is the god
 A: Threadbare hands caked with clay