Cognitive Need Not Apply

by Eric Beeny

We never rally think

about what it is we manufacture.

some of us are

at home,

sick

while the rest of us are

at work,

homesick.

Around these parts,

"lunch break" means

strangling

their stick figures

with twist ties.

"refrain"

means stop

and repeat phrase.

times like these, I wonder

if moses ever split

any prophets.

we mannequins

are the only lepers left,

leaving limbs behind

like bread crumbs

to find our way back

to the factory

where,

at the beginning and end

of each day,

we manually sound

the hornets,

where

even bees on bicycles

couldn't petal

their way

to the pollen.