Sanctificum
by CHRIS ABANI

Usually poems this long loose me but the descriptions in this one kept my attention. I especially enjoyed the lines

cashews from trees and ate them in the sun,
the sticky sweet of them running down your arms.

Sticky as a good thing is really visual. I wonder what wild cashews are really like or if this is merely a metaphor. The poem reminded me of this movie called Faye Grim that was really funny. I’m not sure why, but when I got about half way through it felt like the poem had a political agenda. Things with an agenda annoy me because I feel like someone is trying to manipulate me. If somebody has something important to say, or at least something that is going to attempt to change my mind; then they should say it directly.