Interleaving Poetry

Poems written separately to a specific length, then combined by taking each in turn one line at a time.

Poems currently shown: separate. Click here to combine.

Untitled
She uses my earwax to butter her corn
She gives me sex tips through a megaphone horn
"Ouch, move your leg."
"Slow down-- not that slow."
"Don't bite."
"Tell me what you want me to do."
She uses my feet as doorstops, my jaw as a comb, my antlers as coatracks, my skin to strain coffee, my ass as a pillow, my pelvis as a storage bin for jam.
I feel used.
"I have different friends I go to for different things," she says
She comes to me when she needs furniture.
She uses my earwax to butter her corn
She uses my ennui to sharpen her scorn
I've too little gumption to get up and leave
But plenty resentment to wear on my sleeve
This humble paperweight begs for reprieve

Throat Culture
"Oh, no," I thought, as I saw her approach
She was a casual acquaintance of the worst kind
I prepared to receive the spear of her "how are you".
I prepared to lie "fine" and hide my pain for her benefit
According to social contract we all did this for each other
Suddenly I knew that this time my throat would not respond
Rebelliously my tongue would spit out, "well, my grandfather has died."
And then it would be too late to stop it.
"My brother is hiding from the mob," I would continue, watching the panic spread on her face
My leg is gangrenous
I'm being evicted
And my mother doesn't love me anymore
She would be mortified, but I somehow relieved
"Hi, how are you?" she said.
"Fine," I replied.

Also Untitled
Mmm the humming of the birds
Sounds so nice blending with the wires
Why don't we microwave pigeons for Thanksgiving?
It would be a most interesting thing
Mother, the pigeon exploded
That's OK son, just scrape the guts and give it to your sister
I feel better without the Triptophane.
We could watch fights to death on television instead of football
Or maybe we wouldn't have to
The television rays cook my brain
The microwave rays fry my seed
Brainless babies in Brownsville are very unappealing to me
Time to eat bread and brie
Brie brie brie for you and me
Oh what a lovely day it will be