Five Poems
by J.D. Nelson
Contents:
- when will you learn about playing with lightning?
- it's the high plains dreamer with a squirt-gun
full of
lemonade
- Ten bucks, Joe!
- 5,000 Pesos
- My Breakfast Mythology
when will you learn about playing with lightning?
come on inside
& dry your eyes.
a bucket of garter snakes,
magnetic star dust,
more magnets.
I don't mind, iodine.
three-foot
free-fall.
it's the high plains dreamer with a squirt-gun full of
lemonade
"You know those guys?" asked Green P.
"I know the cowboy -- that's Ol' Copperhead Colby.
I've never seen the frog before," answered Space Cat.
Green P. finished his iced coffee and suggested they
leave the cafe. He stopped to ask the cowboy and his
froggy friend for help on the way out.
Ol' Colby unwrapped a peppermint candy and popped it
in his mouth. He winced as he tasted the red swirls --
Colby was hyper-sensitive to artificial colors,
especially food dyes -- and especially to RED food
dyes.
All of a sudden, he got that funny feeling that
someone was watching him. He swung his head and torso
around to see who was doin' all the starin' -- it was
a man dressed like a 1930s forest ranger with dark
green moss for skin!
Ten bucks, Joe!
The Empress called for a room
full of albino elephants --
may I try this plum-paste,
your majesty?
You're a purple mountain --
I grew up in your back yard --
no one splashes up until I say so.
She was a blue-finned mirror-fish.
At this point, I can't imagine
what you might be --
another inhibition --
you can't grab enough cash
in the supermarket spree.
5,000 Pesos
No more barley
for me,
Crowe thought
to himself,
tho' th' thoughts
inside his head
were not his own.
My Breakfast Mythology
these words are printed upon my own skin -- this is
way out in the country -- the place I've been dreaming
of. I'm out here with my backpack, tent & sleeping bag
-- my pack is stuffed with food, water & supplies -
including the little radio I brought along so I could
listen to the NBA finals -- I'm way out here in the
country, yes, sir -- I'm giving this lifestyle a
chance -- I can't stand living in the metropolitan
centers -- I've been feeling an urge to escape since
childhood. I've been looking for an outlet for the
past few months, ever since the city council closed
down the basketball courts for "renovation."
Basketball courts all across the country were being
closed down for "renovation." The rabbit walked right
up to the police officer and asked for a dollar. It
was that kind of morning. Who told you that you
weren't allowed to have hot chocolate for breakfast?
Would you like some more whipped cream or cinnamon
syrup? I have a bottle of spiced orange syrup up in
the cupboard, if you'd like some. In the area of
prayer, I found the resultant computer code to
fluctuate nicely and now my tea is cool enough to
drink - nothing like a nice cup of buttery lemon tea
to shake away the winter blues and blahs, whatever
you've got, jack! Man, these are the best buttery
flapjacks I've ever eaten -- and you were right about
the corn syrup, too -- it's sweeter and stickier than
maple syrup could ever hope to be -- it's fun pouring
pure corn syrup onto otherwise wholesome food! Next
time, I want to try some crispy hashbrowns with some
of that green taco sauce. Aw, man, now I'll never be
able to get to sleep tonight -- I'll toss and turn,
thinking about my beloved breakfast foods! Chef Red
stuck his head out of the kitchen and asked if we
needed anything else for an hour or so -- he needed to
shut things down temporarily for some routine
maintenance. I asked if a football helmet full of
tater tots and ketchup would be too much trouble. He
smiled and grabbed an old Warriors helmet from the
trophy shelf. That old Chef Red was too much!