Juan Pablo Mobili - Forming the Proper Government

Juan Pablo Mobili was born in Buenos Aires, and adopted by New York. He’s the Poet Laureate of Rockland County, New York, and his poems have appeared in many journals around the world. He was nominated for the Pushcart Prize several times, and his chapbook Contraband was published in 2022. His current manuscript was a finalist in Lily Poetry Review's 2026 Paul Nemser Prize.

Don’t let the roses
run the garden
they are too fond
of their thorns.

Invite peonies, instead,
to join the garden Junta
although they will
retire soon.

The sparrows
must be watched
closely, keep your
eyes on their wings.

The garden is vulnerable,
the grass’s leanings
unpredictable. The squirrels
likely to revolt.