Second Coming No. 444 — April 8, 2026

A poem-a-day protest against the threat posed to our democracy by Donald Trump and his fascist regime

Deanna Kern Ludwin
Introduction to Methods

Establish rhythm. Say, Where are the guns?
Where have you hidden the guns? Say,

Your mother has a lusty ass. .
Cup your hands and box the ears. Like this.

Sometimes it’s beneficial to let
the other prisoners watch. Acid is good.

Electricity is number one. Myself, I like
this metal bed, the Grill. An assistant

will bring you strips of cloth. Dip them
in water, apply, throw the switch. An assistant

will draw a bath, add shit. Remove
the prisoner’s hood, thrust the head into

the water. Hold it. Wait for the gulp,
the swallow, the shallow gurgle. By now

the accused may offer a name, a street. Relent
a little, offer a treat. A bit of chocolate?

A cigarette? At dinner, don’t look at
your wife’s breasts, your daughter’s eyes, your own

rough hands. Don’t tremble as you hold
the fork, the way you’ve learned to hold the probe,

insert it into the anus, glide it deep. Compliment
your wife. Say, A fine meal. A tender piece of meat.

---

Deanna Kern Ludwin‘s poems and micro fictions have appeared in Cimarron Review, Copper Nickel, Flash, Gyroscope Review, I-70 Review, The Normal School, and other journals, as well as in the anthology The Mountain: An Anthology of Mountain Poems (Middle Creek Publishing & Audio, 2021). Before her retirement, she taught literature and creative writing at Colorado State University. A member of the The Colorado Review advisory board, Ludwin lives in Fort Collins, Colorado.

---

Second Coming is a sponsored project of Indolent Arts, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Consider becoming a paid subscriber or making a one-time tax-deductible donation to support the work that goes into producing Second Coming.

Submit to Second Coming