May might have once-

Recent work from March 26

1^st Day of Spring

Last visit to Griefport

Bay breath

Came ashore chilly exhale

Across the other end of the fork

 Sound was clear eyed ripple

Smooth as blue eyeless glass

A series of dead ends

Beach cul-de-sacs

Non-sequitur discussions

Eroded shorelines

The ferry dragged fish traps

Twisted in the propellers

The family home on the corner gutted

Dogs across the street still bark

Then a cemetery tour-

Sandwiches and coffee

Under the statue of limitations

The Morons blather down the other end of the bar-

Nursing a watery draft/grave

In this cold lonely lost place

Stage flat storefronts/ empty sidewalks

Museum of the past                                               VQ 3/26

The Sky is full of Widow Makers

Gray Chill

Drinking cans of Millers

With ghosts long winded silence

At the old Meyers

Voices echo hanging high in the naked arms

Of Stark Reality tree limbs

Hanging black wires dead/ no juice

Spring is AWOL

March smug frozen sneer

Welcome home you old asshole poet

Swing in those dead vines hangman’s noose

Firehouse alarm siren

Christmas lights blank eyes

Sutton place gutted

We might have looked inside

Or dumpster dived but lacked the guts

Mirrors reflect nobody’s home

Wind flips these pages

Scattering empty cans

Hey Ed Rose

Set em up

                                                                                         VQ 3/26

The other Vince

Was in the IGA early that morning

Asked the old gal at the register

If she remembers Edna

She shrugged and shrugged no.

There was this guy standing off to the side

Hat clearly in hand-

Young dirty blond long hair slight mustache and with the Kennys on his chin

Worn suit jacket- battered blue jeans -scuffed brown Dingo boots-worn heels

Looking for a job

I overheard the manager interviewing him

As I left, I called out to the young stranger- good luck

Later that evening I spotted him down the other end of the bar

Talking with a good looking Bartender with long black hair

Having enough I got ready to blow

Called down the Bartender and said hey buy the guy you’re talking to a beer

Walking out I passed by him and he said hey thanks mister-BTW I got the job.

Good deal I replied and walked out the long hallway to stand outside the bar

Smoking one before I walked back to Carol’s house.

He followed me out and asked you got a spare cigarette ?

Sure I said- and handed him two- saying have a couple there small.

I lit his smoke and had a close look at him

Yeah he was young all right but not that young his eyes had tire tracks in them-

He said I didn’t catch your name

Vincent I replied

He said that’s my name too-

Don’t run into many Vinces

And he asked you from around here ?

I was I said once-

A conversation might have ensued

But I all ready knew he was-

Said gotta go- gesturing to the IGA

Over on the Corner

I used to work there.

Handed him a card with our names on it

And headed away down the sidewalk.

                                                                                         VQ 3/26

Advice for young Poets

You must remember that you are writing for no one

When you read your poetry in public

It will be to empty rooms

On the rare occasion you manage an audience

They won’t get you

They won’t like you

And question why anyone would want to run

Your sorry ass up in front of the room-

Better get used it

Go ahead publish your stuff

You’ll have to- they aren’t interested-

But you must write

You must show up-

Stare down indifference and nothingness

Dig in your heels and declare

No I won’t go away

And will outlast all your sorry asses

Tell them straight up

That they will never put your dick

In the dirt

And you’ll send them on their way

With their tail between my legs

                                                                           VQ 3/26

April Shorts 26

Artimus

Back to the Moon huh ?

Will Alice be there ?

*

The Mute Button is Hell-

Hell is-

There’s no Mute Button

*

Did you know ?

And they threw film cans

Of the Wizard of Oz

In the Pacific Ocean  

*

Bees

Remember that Bees

Forgive- Forget- & Fertilize

And if your asking for it ?

Sting.

You ever stung by a dead bee ?

They can sting you just a bad as

If they were alive and really angry

When they died.

*

Why is it ?

Why is it that snowman always cums

On the face of the Forsythia

Just after she blooms and goes yellow –

                                                                                   VQ 4/26