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Stars of Minneapolis (Sestina)
Karen McGee This heart fractured and frozen as the iceoutside the window and on the nightly news. Losing powerno longer an idle threat. Then, resistance breathesnew life—neighbor by neighbor they map routesand deliver food—commoners tenderizedby compassion contrast the cruelty of men wearing stars on their Nazi-wannabe jackets. L’etoiledu Nord this city—a city forged by cold… Continue reading
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Eye of the Storm
Rachel Armes-McLaughlin Quiet now – We mistake it asa pauseto breathe. It is not. The silencestretches, lengthens intosomething that feels safe even while familiesare taken – shh, shh –today, next door. The twins are no longerfeatured news, yet their families write to usfrom afar, describingscenes from war. So calm and deceptive,what do you see in… Continue reading
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Indivisible
R.M. Carlson tiny bare toeszip-ties cut into tender skinloose-limbed, heads lollingslammed togethernaked skin flinchingcold metal of a box truck Still We Come predators pacingcirclingleaning inbullets shatter glass, enter skullblood dribbles down onto chin, chestfucking bitch Still We Come woman shrinksa rabbit flattening to the pavementstaring at black bootswhite collared shepherd steps in:take me insteadstrapped goon,… Continue reading
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somewhole
Robin Rich three things brokencount the parts they aremore than the wholeone jigsaw billions of parts to interlock count the parts One:body in the doorway how they have folded up their bitsrough sleepers sent off in shipstouch paper, i am a blue fuse in yourpost code Two:citizen typesbodies in movementin transport or in commute.one a… Continue reading
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The Possible
Merril D. Smith “When we come to itWe must confess that we are the possible”—Maya Angelou, A Brave and Startling Truth Snow falls, feather-softa silent shroud, but ice is unyielding, strident,treacherous— hard, cold, cruel—it can murder you.even if you just stand there,even if you’re trying to help others, ice can kill heroes. You could fall… Continue reading
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Refugees
Rainer Neumann On the bordersOf abstractionLines drawn upon the earthFought over killed over defended and agreed uponDemarcations of circumstanceThat history won’t let goAll earthly life fills the spaces in betweenHumanity must pay heed to the barbed wire the wallsThe lines at the airportsWhere the authorities decide if the passports matchAnd the dogs sniffAnd the guns… Continue reading
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time dilations
a body on a gurney on the roadside in handcuffs endures by a body, i always mean my body Continue reading
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Treats in Suburban Chicago
Michelle DeRose We were warned about apples,how the seedy center might holda blade. The nutted caramel hidits invasion. Rumor, of course.Urban myth to taint the walk,wrap the fun size in suspicion.Now tear gas clouds the blockin spooky smoke, the scare to teachthat nothing sweet comes from masks. Professor Emerita of English at Aquinas College, Michelle… Continue reading
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Do-Over
Steve Babb Thoughts on driving past the future site of the Social Circle immigrant detention center I drove past pod on barren podOf vacant warehouse spaceThe sites of future segregation cellsAnd scenes of pending crimesAlready in the planning stage They stretched on endlesslyAnd made me contemplateOur infinite capacityFor inhumanity –All of the thought and sweatAnd… Continue reading
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Make My Day
Russell Dupont Do you suppose he smiledwhen he ordered Troopersto deny water to migrantsin the blazing heat? Do you suppose he laughedwhen he heard that,on his orders, bloodiedwomen, children, menwere forced, pushedback into the Rio Grande? Do you suppose he snickeredwhen he heard that a womanand infant girl were founddrowned near the razor wirebarrier he… Continue reading
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About the Project
The Chaos Section Poetry Project publishes curated poetry collections rather than individual poems on a rolling basis. Our work is primarily rooted in contemporary free verse, though we’re open to a wide range of forms when they serve the book or project.
Each collection is built around a central theme and shaped through close editorial collaboration, with an emphasis on voice, craft, and emotional honesty.
All books are available free to read on the site and as free high-quality digital downloads. Print editions are offered for readers who want a physical copy.
Record of Dissent: Poems of Protest in an Authoritarian Age
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