Syphylis Makes The Whole World Kin Poem by Indigo Hawkins

I.
he said: the fun is in manipulation.
then guffawed like a goony overlord.
that must be true, i thought, with how often
we are duped. so we guard ourselves by analyzing
color, by examining design, and by stigmatizing anything
asymmetrical or
unbalanced
because instability defies some desperate need
to conquer ourselves-to contain our own chaos.
we disparage what we do not want to comprehend.

II.
so maybe, as i carve this effigy, i am an artist,
or maybe, as the man implied, i am the conquistador
in the guise of a god -
the false prophet embraced without suspect
guilefully supplanting my symbols
into your system.
your people will laud my craft and then
curse my name. at first seeing nothing
of my substance, you will feel
exactly what i want you to feel.


III.
you will recognize my significance only after
being diagnosed.