Where Death Angels Bloom
An antiwar poem
Raising the flag on Mount Suribachi, the iconic shot. Foundational for a nation's identity — the great American myth. But Iwo Jima was so long ago and film doesn't last forever. Transforming over time, like the Picture of Dorian Gray. Unveiling the curtain, a mountain of decaying corpses with Death Angels in their eyes reach for the flag which stands stubbornly erect, over everything.
Death Angels are formally known as amanita ocreata, a poisonous mushroom found in the United States.



Josh! Caught this on the restack.
Loved the inclusion of Dorian Gray. That makes me think of America as this beautifully faced dream but at its core is simple is swallowed by corruption.
Thanks for sharing! And, um, Happy Veteran's Day
Thank you for this. Your poem is so well crafted and so very powerful.