POETRY BY JUAN MANUEL PEREZ Juan Manuel Pérez is a Mexican-American Speculative Poet of indigenous descent, and a former migrant worker. He is the author of numerous poetry books, including the poetic-memoir, Thirty Years Ago: Life and the First Gulf War (2023) and the Mexican-American Barrio Horror Novel-in-Verse, La Santa Madre Tamalera (2023). He has been awarded the Poet Laureate for Corpus Christi, Texas (2019-2020). He won the 2021 Horror Authors Guild’s Inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award winner and is a recipient of a 2021 Horror Writers Association Diversity Grant. His credits also include two Pushcart Prize Nominations (2017, 2023), three Elgin Book Award Nominations (2021, 2022, 2023), four Rhysling Award Nominations (2011, 2012, 2013, 2020), four Dwarf Star Award Nominations (2012, 2020, 2021, 2022) and one Honorable Mention win in 2022, and one H.E.R.O.I.C. People’s Choice Award Nomination (2024). Not only is Juan an award-winning poet, but he is also a combat vet, history teacher, and Native American Gourd Dancer. You can find him HERE
WHEN YOUR PRAYERS GO HARD from your blue-sky world every wasi’chu not a soul is left it turns out to be hate within prayers what were you thinking? fear, for it is late WHAT IF POE WAS MEXICAN quizásnuncamás question the sun’s flames question the movements quizásnuncamás question life itself question even death quizásnuncamás Lincoln died for me thirty-eight brothers red retribution formulated plans my arrow of truth sunk into darkness softly pressed trigger |