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Thursday, August 18, 2022

Here in the Where and When

 
Space-Time Continuum
—Poetry and Visuals by Smith, 
Cleveland, OH



I often know when I'm in the where
seldom where I'm in the when

But mostly it's duck water, dark dollars
and turtles all the way down

Plus broken mirrors and ballerinas
in shadow-sun rerun

They say they're hooks to hang your hopes on
not nooses for the neck

Yet here I endure another day  
mostly bone unbroken
 
 
 
 Bar None


Flies arriving for new dead snake
flies feasting on old dead worm
life goes on
 
 
 
 Skydrop


It's a two-poo morning
how many pounds bagged dog shit
carried past two years?
 
 
 
 Nightlight


That side glass
fat mama raccoon and her half-grown
cavort in dark on deck

This side
black cat crouch
low throat growling
 
 
 
 Redeye Kilowatt


It's all about dolphins and endorphins
the purpose and the porpoise
creeping dusk
balmy weather
fireflies
it's not eat or be eaten
but endless eat and eaten roundabout
my job
is to lie myself to tomorrow
 
 
 
 Subset


Iridescent blue-green flies
gobbling rotting meat
beauty on the beat
 
 
 
 Crosscrack


You know of course
eventually
a tire blows
or sparkplug fades
wheel wobble
or bad oil grade
does you in
in spite of spin
and flounce
in for a penny
in for an ounce
I got 99 monkeys
yet no circus sound
inside this hourglass
of runrealfastdown
 
 
 
Ee Only
 

We know
thanks to postcards from the end
it's not destination
it's the journey
the getting
not the gone
which makes me think
Sisyphus must be one happy dude
blessed by endless doing
never done
always on way up
before failing down
never reaching boardroom
to piss its gold-plated toilet
no kissing ass or playing blind
just rolling rock in endless climb
with time to enjoy view
as failure falls
in sparkle of downward dew
no worry
no warts
except (as always)
hurt for the heart
 
 
 
Exit Light
 

Today’s LittleNip:

It's a good day
when the cop lights
go the other way

—Smith

___________________

Good morning, Smith (Steven B. Smith), writing to us all the way from Cleveland and reminding us that it’s all duck water and dark dollars as we slouch toward Babylon. (And don't forget the turtles.) Always sharp poetry, always sharp visuals. Thank you, Steven!

There are readings around here tonight: Poetry Unplugged at Luna’s Cafe in Sacramento; Poetry Night In Davis (featuring Charles Halsted and Angela James); and The Muse Exchange Open Mic in Nevada City, featuring Bill Gainer and two rounds of open mic. Click UPCOMING NORCAL EVENTS at the top of this column for details about these and other poetry goings-on in the NorCal area.

___________________

—Medusa
 
 
 
 Mirrorman
—Photo by Smith
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 



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