J.H. Johns

SOMETHING FISHY

Multiple bodies
buried
along Ocean Parkway;

legs and feet
showing up
at
Davis Park;

who dunit;
how dunit;
how many dunit;

crimes being “solved;”
a suspect being “arrested;”
a wife filing for divorce;
children who are traumatized;
communities now at ease;

hey;
pull over;
stop the car;
get out;
go into the dunes;
face the ocean;
take a moment-
there!

Do you smell it?
Is there something fishy in the air?


Paul Churchill Mann's YouTube video reading of "Something Fishy"


J.H. confesses: "Having been up and down that road going through Gilgo many times, I have always wondered-over bodies and time- how can one realistically park- at night, at any time- on that road- I mean, I know you can see in both directions quite clearly- but how do you park, take out a body- or even dig a hole- without seriously upping your risk of being spotted? I always thought that whoever was doing it came at it with a boat from the ocean side...Unless he was dropped off."

J.H. JOHNS “grew up and came of age” while living in East Tennessee and Middle Georgia. Specifically, the two places “responsible” for the writer that he has become are Knoxville, Tennessee and Milledgeville, Georgia. Since then, he has moved on to Chicago- for a brief stint- and New York City- for a significantly longer stay. Currently, he is “holed up” in a small town where when he is not writing, he tends to his “nature preserve” and his “back forty.” His goal is to surround his house with all sorts of vegetation so as to obscure it from the gaze of the “locals.”  He is assisted in this task by his coonhound buddy and companion, Roma. J. H. Johns was a Pushcart nominee in 2018.

J.H. Johns

A CRIME UNSPOKEN

There’s probably a plan-
there has to be a plan-
I’m sure
there’s almost always
been a plan;

just talk at first;
maybe wishful thinking
or
a drunken indiscretion;

formalized-
back then-
with
a nod of the head;
a muffled laugh;
a raised glass;

becoming-
over time-
more secret;
more elusive;

moving from
the dining rooms,
libraries
and
private places;

waiting now,
waiting for that
moment
just shy
of
“too late;”

when it will
mysteriously become
a crime unspoken.


Paul Churchill Mann's YouTube video reading of "A Crime Unspoken"


J.H. confesses: "We have one family member much along the actuarial chart; throw in an inheritance; throw in the "birth" of intrigue, greed and betrayal- with the birth 'rearing' its ugly premature delivery before anyone has actually died- and you have the inspiration for 'A Crime Unspoken.'"

J.H. JOHNS "grew up and came of age" while living in East Tennessee and Middle Georgia. Specifically, the two places "responsible" for the writer that he has become are Knoxville, Tennessee and Milledgeville, Georgia. Since then, he has moved on to Chicago—for a brief stint—and New York City—for a significantly longer stay. Currently, he is "holed up" in a small town where when he is not writing, he tends to his "nature preserve" and his "back forty." His goal is to surround his house with all sorts of vegetation so as to obscure it from the gaze of the "locals." He is assisted in this task by his coonhound buddy and companion, Roma.

J.H. Johns

CAN A VIRUS BE CRIMINAL?

Can a virus be criminal?

Yes!

A Cronyvirus!

The White House-
the administration-
is infected
with it-
everyone is symptomatic;

the cronyvirus;

manufactured
to commit crimes
of
excessive-

(including but not limited to)-

narcissism;
half-truths;
distortions;
lies;
favoritism;
nepotism;
greed;
and all that is-

self-serving-

a true "can-demic!"


Paul Churchill Mann reads "Can a Virus Be Criminal?":



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J.H. confesses nothing.

J.H. JOHNS "grew up and came of age" while living in East Tennessee and Middle Georgia. Specifically, the two places "responsible" for the writer that he has become are Knoxville, Tennessee and Milledgeville, Georgia. Since then, he has moved on to Chicago—for a brief stint—and New York City—for a significantly longer stay. Currently, he is "holed up" in a small town where when he is not writing, he tends to his "nature preserve" and his "back forty." His goal is to surround his house with all sorts of vegetation so as to obscure it from the gaze of the "locals." He is assisted in this task by his coonhound buddy and companion, Roma.

J.H. Johns

WONDERING ABOUT THE REAL CRIME

They’ve wanted us to believe
that it was—
simply—
about Hillary,
the Democrats,
and Russian interference
in the 2016 election.

But,
was it really?

Or,
was all of that
just a "school of red herrings"—
a cover—
for
"the real hacking?"

That the real targets
were the other Republicans,

gathering dirt on them,

so that once in office
they knew better
than to oppose him,
and,
thus,

the reason
they keep their mouths—

shut.


Paul Churchill Mann reads "Wondering about the Real Crime":



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J.H. confesses: "Look, should we assume that Trump's overture to the Ukrainians about the Bidens—and dirt—is just simply a new development? Or, should we see it as a tactic that he has used before, leading up to the 2016 election, that if elected he could keep the Republicans in the House and Senate—some if not all—quiet and supportive? I wonder if this was not the real crime."

J.H. JOHNS "grew up and came of age" while living in East Tennessee and Middle Georgia. Specifically, the two places "responsible" for the writer that he has become are Knoxville, Tennessee and Milledgeville, Georgia. Since then, he has moved on to Chicago—for a brief stint—and New York City—for a significantly longer stay. Currently, he is "holed up" in a small town where when he is not writing, he tends to his "nature preserve" and his "back forty." His goal is to surround his house with all sorts of vegetation so as to obscure it from the gaze of the "locals." He is assisted in this task by his coonhound buddy and companion, Roma.

J.H. Johns

DYING A SLOW DEATH

Was it-
the him and her-
were they-
dying a slow death
or
were they dead already-
long dead-
and
it was just a matter
of waiting
for the bodies
to decompose?


Paul Churchill Mann reads "Dying a Slow Death":



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J.H. confesses: "I try to expose myself to as much information as possible. At the same time, I work hard not to make value-judgments about the info. Then, sometimes, maybe, it just comes to me. Of course, in my case, that means having notepads, pens, etc, around me- and within reach at all times. Because, it is fleeting- whatever you want to call it- put it down or else it will be gone."

J.H. JOHNS "grew up and came of age" while living in East Tennessee and Middle Georgia. Specifically, the two places "responsible" for the writer that he has become are Knoxville, Tennessee and Milledgeville, Georgia. Since then, he has moved on to Chicago—for a brief stint—and New York City—for a significantly longer stay. Currently, he is "holed up" in a small town where when he is not writing, he tends to his "nature preserve" and his "back forty." His goal is to surround his house with all sorts of vegetation so as to obscure it from the gaze of the "locals." He is assisted in this task by his coonhound buddy and companion, Roma.

J.H. Johns

CONSENSUAL CRIME

Consensual crime takes time;
did anyone say-
“Yes;”
did anyone say-
“No;”

what was a moment-
a fling-
yesterday,
will it still be that
tomorrow
and
the next day
and
week
and
month
after that;

it’ll be lost in time-
and minds-
so we’ll probably
never know;

was it chance;
was it planned;
was it taking advantage;
was it an advantage worth taking;

and, so,
will the memory
of the fury
in which they engaged,
persist
until sufficient time has passed
and
has now become
a different passion
of
cashin’
in;

consensual;
consequential;
a crime of “passion;”
a “passion” begs the crime-

consensual crime takes time.


Paul Churchill Mann reads "Consensual Crime":



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J.H. confesses: "I try to expose myself to as much information as possible. At the same time, I work hard not to make value-judgments about the info. Then, sometimes, maybe, it just comes to me. Of course, in my case, that means having notepads, pens, etc, around me- and within reach at all times. Because, it is fleeting- whatever you want to call it- put it down or else it will be gone."

J.H. JOHNS "grew up and came of age" while living in East Tennessee and Middle Georgia. Specifically, the two places "responsible" for the writer that he has become are Knoxville, Tennessee and Milledgeville, Georgia. Since then, he has moved on to Chicago—for a brief stint—and New York City—for a significantly longer stay. Currently, he is "holed up" in a small town where when he is not writing, he tends to his "nature preserve" and his "back forty." His goal is to surround his house with all sorts of vegetation so as to obscure it from the gaze of the "locals." He is assisted in this task by his coonhound buddy and companion, Roma.

J.H. Johns

AND THAT'S THE WAY IT WENT

A moment of glory—
an instant of a thrill-
and
before you know it—
knew it—
you were back;

for the rest of your life—
though,
if you had been told,
you never would have believed it;

to become—
just another "laborer" in life;
a near-to-meaningless cog;
an infinitesimal aspect
of an institutional machine;

that cared nothing
for, of or about
your sacrifice,
heroism
or
unselfishness—

nada...


Paul Churchill Mann reads "And That's the Way It Went":



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J.H. confesses: "This piece is the product of observing the one-time proud, handsome, attractive, beautiful, shapely, fit, strong, enthusiastic, determined cross-section that you see in the supermarket, committed, relegated- imprisoned- in the embodiment of what they have unwittingly become."

J.H. JOHNS "grew up and came of age" while living in East Tennessee and Middle Georgia. Specifically, the two places "responsible" for the writer that he has become are Knoxville, Tennessee and Milledgeville, Georgia. Since then, he has moved on to Chicago—for a brief stint—and New York City—for a significantly longer stay. Currently, he is "holed up" in a small town where when he is not writing, he tends to his "nature preserve" and his "back forty." His goal is to surround his house with all sorts of vegetation so as to obscure it from the gaze of the "locals." He is assisted in this task by his coonhound buddy and companion, Roma.

J.H. Johns

SINS TO FORGIVE

Can you ever do it?
Can you ever get past—
the sins to forgive?

Your sins;
your deep,
unspoken—
but daily acknowledged—
sins;

transgressions;
by intent;
by default;
by accident;

following you,
talking to you—
consuming you;

is there a way out;
is escape possible;
or
are we forever
unable
to forgive ourselves
of our sins?


Paul Churchill Mann reads "Sins to Forgive":



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J.H. confesses: "Picture—imagine—the satellite imagery of lives; buried, now, beneath angles and undergrowths of all sorts; yet still existing as a silent—emotional and psychological— testimony to the end results of the fits and starts of our sometimes—but not always—innocent actions, that allow the failed ones to haunt us as sins."

J.H. JOHNS "grew up and came of age" while living in East Tennessee and Middle Georgia. Specifically, the two places "responsible" for the writer that he has become are Knoxville, Tennessee and Milledgeville, Georgia. Since then, he has moved on to Chicago—for a brief stint—and New York City—for a significantly longer stay. Currently, he is "holed up" in a small town where when he is not writing, he tends to his "nature preserve" and his "back forty." His goal is to surround his house with all sorts of vegetation so as to obscure it from the gaze of the "locals." He is assisted in this task by his coonhound buddy and companion, Roma.