ABOUT

CONTENTS

EDITORIAL

ARCHIVE

LAGNIAPPE

MAST

SUBMISSIONS

 
TWO POEMS
by Paul Killebrew

Ghazal in the Key of Butter

I asked Dad where he went in the middle,
and he said, "All my time's spent in the middle."

Downwind of the hors d'oeuvres, we talked about,
and finally pitched our tent in, the middle.

At the end of the play, it occurred to Sam
that it wasn't his, whatever he was sent in the middle.

You'll recognize Twoffer by his forehead,
or rather by its dent in the middle.

"This X-mas we're harboring hope
for decorum (especially after our stint in the middle!)"

I've wasted whole garbage bagfuls of time
thinking of where she's bent in the middle.

What a bore to store up the fine
as if one was rent in the middle!

Don't lie there so engaged--
you knew what I meant in the middle.



Pantoum: Tournament Grimace

Bricklayer sentiments, 'sad' or 'sad.'
Goofy how sad,
free-range chickens imply sad
'isms' for careful drooling explications of 'sad.'

Goofy how sad,
O masochism! Punchy, but sad-
isms for careful drooling explications of sad?
Dam your careful hugging retards of sad-

omasochism, Punchy. But Sad-
at ain't no thing like Sad-
dam. Your careful hugging retards of sad,
your refrigerator stocking-sad,

*'at ain't nothing like sad!*
Free-range chickens: imply sad.
Your refrigerator stocking sad,
bricklayer sentiments. Sad. (Or sad.)