Wordwork by Smith

 

—Poetry and Visuals by Smith (Steven B. Smith), Cleveland, OH

New day
new rock
old hill

 

 

 

Morning Dew

 

Bad poetry by dead people
at least they're done

Bad poetry by the living
threat of more to come

Am I dead, or alive?
bad, or just boring?

Storing stuff in mental boxes
wordwork down the line

Low whine of distant traffic
water rush of wind in tree

 

 

 

Rainbow Road

 

You got your version
I got mine
one of us be lyin'
 
To operate in this insane world
you best be a little crazy
and a lot crooked

Between the current
and the coming
more lies

It's sex and gasoline
black caffeine
and pedal to mental gone

 

 

 

Awayzone

 

MEET ME AT THE META MORPH

Time flies, yet can't fly.
Dead flies can't fly, but are still flies.

Far-away train wail to would
is can't to could and should to say.
 
We need to tell the Jabberwocky this
to incorporate into his dance.

For between done and do
the White Rabbit wants to rock and rue.

Slowly we're heading for hole
falling through this last of laugh.  

 

 

 

Destination

 

 

Don't know where I'm going
till I leave where I been

Yes we have no mañanas
we have no mañanas today

You pay my life with yours
I pay yours with mine

 

 

 

American Standard

 

 

 

MARZIPAN NEEDS WOMEN

Back in my day we drank like fish
then got in the car and drove like fish.

My foot is not a foot
is only 10 inches.
How can I have two feet
when I'm 4 inches short?

We have a fowl relationship
she keeps calling me silly goose.

Live in city
but need more exercise
so moving to standy.

We buy cage-free eggs
then lock them in small containers.

I'm serious, Dog Star Sirius.

You know what ghosts seek when things go bad?
Boooooooze.

There's pee and there's poo
put em together
you get people.

Knickknack paddywack now the Whack has won.
"We'll C," said A to B.

I been advised
to go to Placidville
and do placebos.

You shouldn't lend stuff
cuz then it's Lent and you go without.

Look Ma nobody home

I used to catch prerogatives in the pond
and feed them to the mistakes.

Flux em all, then flush.

 

 

 

Hearth

 

MÖBIUS TRIP

I've got the problem solved
the answer to it all

The why and where of way
is simple stand and fall.

Seems to me when try succeeds
you're done and are retired.

Or fail and quit and that's it
they yank you like you're fired.

But try and fail, try and fail,
it's endless honest precession.

You keep going forever
innumeral regenerations.

So try, fuck up, repeat
just the trick to death defeat.

Stumble, rise, bumble, lie
and after fall, re-file.

 

 

 

Country Life

 

 

 

Today’s LittleNip:

Sun sets
day dims
road goes on

—Smith

_________________

Good morning and thanks, Smith in Cleveland, from us left-coasters, as we all rock with Sisyphus this late October. Always good to have the Wordworksmith waking us up here at the Kitchen table!

Tonight (10/21), 7-9pm: Poetry in Davis presents Nyeree Boyadjian and Jennifer O’Neill Pickering plus open mic (4 min. or 2 items), at the rooftop sculpture garden of John Natsoulas Gallery, 521 1st., Davis. Host: Dr. Andy Jones. Info: www.facebook.com/events/431746891713426?ref=newsfeed/.

________________

—Medusa

 

 

 

Raccoon Snooze

—Photo by Smith


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photos in this column can be enlarged by
clicking on them once, then clicking on the x
in the top right corner to come back to Medusa.

Would you like to be a SnakePal?
All you have to do is send poetry and/or
photos and artwork to
kathykieth@hotmail.com. We post
work from all over the world, including
that which was previously-published.
Just remember:
the snakes of Medusa are always hungry—
for poetry, of course!