10 GROUNDCOVER NEWS POETRY Be nice PEDRO CAMPOS Groundcover vendor No. 652 Never trust someone who tries to look nice. You’re either nice or you’re not and not nice is no good. No one tries to be nice when they already are. If you’re nice, you’re just nice no questions asked. So why bother looking nice? It’s not honest to wear it like a mask, to hide your evil eyes. It may look nice to be nice and it is indeed nice to be nice but only looking nice isn’t good at all. Not for you, not fair for anyone. Never rely on dice. In this life You don’t get to roll it twice. Humble you’ll be. Anyone can be nice. It’s a choice. Not an easy one. Do the work. Pay the price. Make the sacrifice. You're human, not a mouse Not the entire pie take a slice. Real nice is to be nice. People have been always nice to me. That’s how I became cooler than ice. feels nice to be me maybe it’s my spice. So follow my sincere advice: Never mind the looks, just be nice. Whoa Nellie! AUGUSTINE JAY every time i think i know the when and why of where to go i'm jostled jerking to and fro down upwards things get blurry 'till all sights to see are lost on me this forest isn't made of trees but self indulgent sloppy sleaze fake comfort puke a scripted pill i'm killing all the slaver screens but cold turkey without the ween dries out the jerky slow smoke's clean and tasty - suffering a thrill when ends don't justify the means or say, vice versa, *c'est la vie”'s a rotten lie or "lie and rot" more like it... this is not a drill — hey does anyone else feel like a shrew screaming at a freight train right now ...or is it just me? is anyone there? hello? hello??? ...*crickets*... Devil's Advocate MARQUETTA "Q" CLEMENTS Groundcover contributor Prejudice My skin They hate Isolate Detonate Want change But fear change Embrace fate Don't turn away Early age We dig graves We're criminals We're insane The psych ward says I'm deranged They caused my pain Then locked me in chains I can't get away Black face Losing race I go to the music to escape Wild and proud Systematically I'm tamed I'm dangerous I'm ashamed Wake up before its too late AUGUSTINE JAY Groundcover vendor No. 678 Forbidden words poetry On March 21, Groundcover News and PoetTree Town explored the list of words banned by the current United States administration and challenged the idea of censorship by creating art and poetry with these “forbidden words.” PEDRO CAMPOS Groundcover vendor No. 652 APRIL 3, 2026
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