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Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Knots of Logic


Alice, Lizard Hunting
Photo by Bill Gainer



LIZARDS IN THE TREES
—William S. Gainer, Grass Valley

There are lizards
in the trees
around the house.
They do pushups
and sun themselves,
at times climbing low,
teasing the dog—
most are missing their tails.
In the evening
the dog lays on the porch,
knowing the sweet taste
of revenge
and lizard...

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Sorry to be late today—it's a long story about technology, but thanks, Bill, for the poem and pix about the carnivorous Alice. Who I am to talk? I've been known to eat mammals, birds and fish, including the occasional calamari—speaking of which, we have two more poems about the little-celebrated squid! Calamariabilia (squidabilia?) aside, this week's SOW is actually the photo of the knotted rope in yesterday's post, and Taylor Graham sends us this:


DREAM-FADE
—Taylor Graham, Placerville

Mother's walking downtown with my father, window-
shopping. Already her house is full of marble-top
tables, blue beads from Florence, quilts from grand-
mothers out of mind. She lags behind. Her ankles ache,
she can't remember where she put the key, she doesn't
understand the tax code. My father strides ahead, not
looking back. She gazes both ways, perhaps crosses
to the other side, dodging cars and buses. Has she lost
her mind? her glasses? Quite gone now, leaving nothing
but a daughter whose ankle's beginning to ache, brain
stuck in the tick of codes, a blinding glare of whizzing
metal. Knots of logic interlocked with dream and
memory. Look both ways twice before you cross.

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AND BECAUSE "BICYCLE TIRE"
ON THE MENU WOULD OPEN
UP A WHOLE OTHER
SET OF PROBLEMS
—Kevin Jones, Fair Oaks

It's
Calamari.
If we called
It squid,
Nobody
Would order
It, the waiter
Explained.

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DEEP SEA
—Mitz Sackman, Murphys

Stark
Graceful
Secretive
Inky swimmer
Deep sea waving legs
Nightmare movie starring
Surfer tangling kisser
Head and legs are all the body parts
Ocean denizen, small to large, tasty
Squid the swiftly swimming cephalopod

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Today's LittleNip:

Who'd have thought the lowly squid would generate so much... ink?


—Kevin Jones


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—Medusa