Helen Peterson| litchaos.com

SOMETIMES I WISH I WAS STILL ON THE GLIDER ON THE SCREENED PORCH by Lyn Lifshin

before traffic was no
more than a soft lull
beyond the elm trees,
ice clinking in frosty
glasses, my mother
still in 4 inch heels.

1 out of 6 by by Rob Plath

bukowski said
he punched out
one great poem in
every six

those are pretty
good odds

that means you gotta
keep banging them out
shitty or not to
get to that 1 in the 6

suffering and its proximity by David Mclean

they write that our awareness of the suffering
of others is deadened by distances
and i agree, you really have to see it
for it to be funny, that's why we have
TV

The Recipe by Emme Hor

1. keep on my knees
2. look him in the eye
3. rub his ego all night
4. cook up his soul

Sometimes Suicidal by Aimee DeLong

SPIDER BITES

I am Spider.
In 1960 I learned
to crawl.
In 1940 I woke up
with spider bites.

Last Night at Southport by Justin Hyde

tell her i'm a butterfly
with sixteen wings
beating in
succinct
anarchy.

microwave popcorn haiku by Pete Lee

pop. pop. pop, pop, pop,
poppoppoppoppoppoppop
pop, pop, pop. pop. pop.

Helen Peterson

Hands Down

From a sewer lid the angry steam hissed
As rain pitted the cold, cold road
Beneath a blue tarp shakes an angry fist

The type of neighbor that will never be missed
Charred rubble left that no one will claim
The shade comes down wit ha flick of the wrist

Spray painted projects on the demolition list
Plywood boards mask empty lives
Beneath a blue tarp shakes an angry fist

“The husband drank, you get the gist,”
His business folded, grass grows in the lot
The shade comes down with a flick of the wrist

Home can be a box, in a pinch, it’s a twist
A change from the project or parking lot
Beneath a blue tarp shakes an angry fist

Empty strip malls are an eyesore, good folk are pissed
But humanity, reality, refuses to budge, when
The shade comes down with a flick of the wrist
Beneath a blue tarp shakes an angry fist.

Detroit Joe

“It Takes Two”      Motown      Charlie Brown
swaying/dancing     “Mockingbird”    close and slow
Joe’s feelings:
fast/youth/freedom
Detroit
blue        collar    love
Joe swings with Mary and Louise Saturday night only
weekdays made for the factory
weeknights made for sleep
Sunday made to wipe it away
just the big man can afford loving all week long

Temptations       Supremes       Aretha on the jukebox
nickels spent on hopeful songs all a poor man can afford
older clubs spin      “Baby it’s Cold”      “They Can’t Take That Away”
Joe is:
Cary Grant        Gene Kelly       Fred Astaire
with Ginger in his arms but really
just Alice from 4A all
crooked teeth     squinty eyes        two left feet
like Ray Charles Joe feels the rhythm
needs a woman
even if it’s shy 4B Rose
voice soft as snow couldn’t give the spirit to a church mouse.

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