"Monkey Shoulder"

By s.p. burke

I've got another little critter,
this one's more devious, I think;
because he plays into my ego
as he challenges me to drink.

He wants to see how far I'll go.
He cheers me on, and shouts,
encourages me, just a little more
until my brain finally blacks out.

And while I stumble half coherent,
He calmly coaches through
wailing at the doorposts
'til my knuckles are cut and bruised.

He tells me that it's all my fault
that so many men are dead
and "it'd be easier to join them,
with a bullet through the head."

But my God is so much stronger
than this critter on my shoulder...
and so, I finally gave him up
and I'm trying to live sober

from the lies, that appear as truth
at the bottom of amber bottles,
from no longer feeling pain,
with one more chug and swallow

from believing the enormous lies
my little critter always shouts,
and though I don't know how it ends
I know, I'll figure it out.

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s.p. burke is a recently retired intelligence analyst in the US Army. Follow him here. Listen to our Savage Wonder podcast episode with him here.

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What’s happening at VetRep…

Tickets are going fast for the Parlor this season, our show in May is Bad Jews by Joshua Harmon. The night after their grandfather’s funeral, three cousins engage in a verbal (and sometimes physical) battle. In one corner is Daphna Feygenbaum, a “Real Jew” who is volatile, self-assured and unbending. In the other is her equally stubborn cousin Liam, a secular and entitled young man, who has his shiksa girlfriend, Melody, in tow. Stuck in the middle is Liam’s brother, Jonah, who tries to stay out of the fray. When Liam stakes claim to their grandfather's Chai necklace, a vicious and hilarious brawl over family, faith, and legacy ensues. Don’t miss out, reserve your tickets for Bad Jews here!

We are currently offering multiple dates for our online and in-person Playwriting for Veterans classes, and our Acting for Beginners class is now being offered weekly every Saturday from 10am-12pm. Scholarships for qualifying veterans, as well as multi-class passes are available. Registration details can be found here.

Help us move into our permanent home at 1 Angola Rd! A public hearing will be held on May 9 at 7pm at Town Hall in Cornwall in reference to our request to change our zoning from residential to commercial. This is a critical step for us to be able to move forward and get into our new space. If you are able, please come out to the meeting and show your support. If you cannot attend but wish to write a letter you can email it to: supervisor@cornwallny.gov