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Chosen
by
Christopher Hivner
He was chosen
from the rabble,
a face in the
crowd
that showed he was
ordinary,
a man with a
forgettable name
who wouldn’t be
missed.
He was selected
for a task
the important
people
didn’t want to do,
didn’t have to do,
because there will
always
be people like him
that don’t matter.
Removed from our
presence,
he stayed on our
minds
for a few days
and then life
intervened.
Work, family,
friends,
problems, desires,
fears,
each new day
brought some
combination,
and those in
charge
never spoke of
the nominee again
nor the task he
was
chosen for.
The sun rises,
we gather
to be told the
lies
that become our
truth
after the weight
on our shoulders
grinds our bones
to powder,
and we forget
the redlining we
felt
the day before.
Then one day
those in charge
need another
chosen one
to fulfill a new
task,
and we
collectively
stare into the
distance
and wonder,
what happened
to the other guy.
Christopher Hivner writes
from a small town in Pennsylvania surrounded by books he intends to read if he
becomes immortal and the echoes of very loud music. He has recently been
published in CC&D and 5-7-5 Haiku Journal.
Facebook: Christopher Hivner - Author, Twitter: @Your_screams, Blue Sky:
cshivner.bsky.social
Cindy Rosmus originally hails from the Ironbound section of Newark, NJ, once voted the
“unfriendliest city on the planet.” She talks like Anybodys
from West Side Story and everybody from Saturday Night Fever. Her noir/horror/bizarro
stories have been published in the coolest places, such as Shotgun
Honey; Megazine; Dark Dossier; The
Rye Whiskey Review, Under the Bleachers, and Rock
and a Hard Place. She is the editor/art director
of Yellow Mama. She’s published seven collections of short stories. Cindy is
a Gemini, a Christian, and an animal rights advocate. She
has recently branched out into photo illustration.
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