Content Warning: violence, death, blood
Brandon Shane – Sacrificial Lamb
I stared at the executioner
atop a great pyramid in Mexico,
dedicated to the Sun God.
I was the fiftieth to go, and so
his hands were trembling as he
picked up the bloodstained axe.
His face sagged with exhaustion,
eyes longing for something harsh
to drink after a hard day of work.
There was a mound of heads at
the bottom, and I thought how selfish
to refuse death by Mayan Ritual.
I bowed my head before he could
make me, and then sensed great appreciation
exude from his sore, aching body.
Thinking of how my death would
ensure a bountiful crop, prevent a
future drought, how could I resist?
Brandon Shane is an alum of California State University, Long Beach, where he majored in English. He's currently pursuing an MFA while working as a substitute teacher. You can find his work in the Bitterleaf Books issue fate, Salmon Creek Journal, BarBar Literary Magazine, Discretionary Love, various Wingless Dreamer anthologies, among others.
Cover Artwork: Tikal by Simon Alderwick
Simon Alderwick grew up in Surrey but now lives in West Wales after several years in the Philippines. His poetry has appeared in Magma, The Telegraph, Ink Sweat & Tears, Anthropocene, Poetry Salzburg, Acropolis, Dust, Frogmore Papers, London Grip, and elsewhere. His debut pamphlet, ways to say we're not alone, will be released by Broken Sleep Books in February 2024.