Peoria, Il.

Experimental Form

Joseph Bottomley

Joseph Bottomley and gentle smart Meg stood in the light blue
doorway.
Red faces, white hair, gentle smiles.
Come in come in said the spider to the fly.
Pretend a smiling face can be trusted.

Sarah Jane

A brown and white speckled pony in a field of knee high green
grass waiting.
Sarah Jane came to ride the pony to the top of the green
mountain every day.
One day a little boy of light brown hair came.
He stroked the pony’s mane.
Every day. He came.
He rode the small brown and white pony to the top of the green
mountain.
He whispered words of encouragement.

Georgina Phelps

A high breasted, wild-eyed, smart ass girl with a tongue sharp as a
serpent’s tail.
No patience for questions.
Fists tight at her sides, for self control or ready or something.
Furious broads are always looking for a lion tamer.
The kind of guy who will rape you just as soon as say hello.
Living life so hard that it would soften up the tough stringy pulp
she called herself.
Plenty of time to wake up, smell the coffee and find the lion
tamer before she got herself killed.

Joe parsons

Joe, Joe, what were you thinking signing up for that business,
‘your duty’.
Oh mama, Jesus! No place to run, nowhere safe.
Ought to be home where you belong.

Miss Harriet

Miss Harriet was a real lady.
Her sharp hawk nose and creamy skin against henna red hair.
The affection she felt for her chicks in spite of her starch on a
medium hanger look.
Kept us wayward girls on the straight and narrow when mom
wasn’t around.
Her words found a place in the empty caverns called our minds.
Raging hormones playing block and tackle.
When we were through with stupid.
“Sorry it’s just me, not Mr. Excitement”.
Maybe we might remember.

George and Effie

A nice pair. Good looking. Went together.
She said she never would go to the dreaded mid west to be with
her man.
Oh man! More boxes and junk you could fill up a van or two.
Bound together with their brand of loud and clear.
Snarling foes with fangs and claws driven deep to that syrupy
spot called love.

Ned and Niles

Walking side by side, an occasional brush of hands, noticeable
only to the initiated.
So many secrets, like us.

Georgina Phillips

Stand still truth. Black and white is easy. Not ambiguous grey.
The color of life.