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Friday, April 25, 2025

yield


by rhoda penmarq



the terpischorean remnants of the embittered yielders
stared at me from the edge of the tattered lawn

i had my dictionary at the ready
but they thoroughly humiliated me nevertheless

snow-capped mountains to the left of me
shiny black buildings to the right


i turned and ran
but, strangely, heard no laughter behind me

i met eddie jones on the horizon
he upbraided me savagely

but i had had enough
and diverted my energies to the creatures in the river

an old school chum emerged from the mist
wearing a rumpled blazer and a gold braided yachting cap

have mercy, i cried dolorously
i spend my whole life eating out of plastic containers



Thursday, April 24, 2025

the perfect crime


by horace p sternwall





adam woke up
and eve was gone
he went outside
and mowed the lawn

a light was on
across the road
in the humble home
of colonel toad

adam thought
this is the time
to finally commit
the perfect crime

adam and the colonel
went back a long way
to armageddon
and judgment day

adam was a monkey
and the colonel was a clown
the circus was stuck
in a one horse town

salome had absconded
with the weeks receipts
and prophets wandered
the muddy streets

the lion and the trainer
were drunk in their tent
and moses wondered
what it all meant

what it all means
the colonel declared
is that murder will out
and life is not fair

adam nodded
and sewed a button on his pants
and thought, some day
i will have my chance





Wednesday, April 23, 2025

ralph


by nick nelson




ralph waits for the bus
the bus arrives

a nice evening
but a bit chilly

he observes to the driver
the driver agrees

there are only
two another passengers

one of them is
a woman in a gray coat

ralph smiles at her
but she does not smile back

and colonel armstong
ralph and the colonel ignore each other

ralph proceeds to the back of the bus
as the bus goes up the mountain

and stops when it reaches the top
the driver stands up and turns

and addresses the three passengers
we wil not be returning

once we start down the other side
this is final

the woman in the gray coat
and the colonel

remain expressionless
wind shakes the bus

ralph begins to laugh
in the peculiar way he has always had




Monday, April 21, 2025

oscar blue, part 2


by bofa xesjum




oscar sat down and thought
and turned into a butterfly
tired of it all

about his mom
walking down a long dark highway
with no end in sight

so tired
on the other side of the moon
a light appeared in the sky

waking down a long dark highway

“oscar, are you in there?

i am so tired

a light appeared in the sky
floating like a dinosaur
to coolly calculate the odds

and turn into a butterfly
the best in the whole world
but it was all in vain

walking down the dark highway
but don’t show your face here again
on the other side of the moon

to coolly calculate the odds
about his mom
who always knew the score

the river flows
and plays well with others
the river flows




oscar blue, part 1


by bofa xesjum




terrified
but having a good heart
oscar sat down and thought

to avoid obstacles
but was not much of a hunting dog
named shep

he just didn’t have it in him

“they laughed when he walked through the door”

in the shadow of the mountain

he sat down and thought
because he had a good heart
walking down a long highway

and told not to show his face
covered with ice and snow
he heard a voice behind him

echoing down a long highway
he sat down and thought
as the voice did not stop

to avoid obstacles
and fainted
at the foot of the mountain

with a stout heart
too terrified to speak
about his old dog shep

who was told not to show his face
and heard a voice behind him
trembling with abject terror




Sunday, April 20, 2025

the package, part 2


by bofa xesjum



excuse me, sir
this day is not forever
no matter what they say

it may seem obvious
and it may be news to some
but soon it will be over

and there will be no more excuses
but i cared
but now it is over

you never expected that
but it is good news to some people
but you can get lucky

it was right there in front of you
nobody cared
and then it was over

“what are we talking about, anyway?”

nobody cared at the time
obvious as it seems now

they were to quick to go to sleep
the package was on the step for all to see
and then it was all over

all over
forever and a day
it was great news for some

and some even cared
and some got lucky
because some people have all the luck



the package, part 1


by bofa xesjum



ha ha very funny
excuse me
quite obvious, thank you

they were too quick
but you can get lucky
that is great news

i never expected that
i cared
they were too quick

the package was left on the step
nobody cared
so you say

the package was left on the step
they were too quick
and then it was over

nobody cared
it is already over
forever and a day

i never expected that
i cared
i never expected that

excuse me
the package was left on the step
it is already over

forever and a day
so you say
so you say