Cage Match

Steel so real
even the ref
gets stressed.

Mister Mystery

He removed his mask
for the first time
in his career and revealed
a smaller more sinister
mask. The crowd was
no longer laughing. The crowd
was gasping for air.

Benjamin Niespodziany is a Chicago-based writer whose work has appeared in Conduit, Fence, hex, X-R-A-Y, and elsewhere. His chapbook manuscript was recently awarded the 2025 Poetry Prize with Gasher Press. Along with hosting the Neon Night Mic reading series, he runs the poetry publication Piżama Press. You can find more at neonpajamas.com.