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- the last corona virgin
Get thee behind me,
COVID. You shall not cross this
masked face, these washed hands. - we report, you comply
When a news network
lies to you all day, all night,
it’s brainwash city. - we’ve already moved on
The mass shootings of
today are forgotten long
before the blood dries. - a focus on the numbers
She cared more about
the target, even taking
unhealthy chances. - parton the interruption
Philanthropist, song-
writer, angel, a hell of
a businesswoman. - non-stop flow
Time flies, or it creeps
in this petty pace. But it
always goes forward. - saturday at the costco
A warehouse filled with
shoppers in a frenzy for
discount bulk salmon. - patriotic pickins
What American
boy hasn’t tried Rice Krispie
treats? It’s in our blood. - brigade of helpers
They made the most of
the day by installing the
laminate wood floor. - belabor day
Quiet quitting. The
Great Resignation. Looks like
labor fighting back. - probably not
Does this poem make
you angry or question all
your base assumptions? - the new skate park
The boys made up new
tricks as they glided and jumped
and fell on each curve. - waiting for da dough
The bakery line
stretched 20-people deep as
aromas wafted. - secret identity
My mind wanders as
we exchange pleasantries: Where
do I know you from? - bugging in
Vaccinated and
boosted (twice!) and I still caught
coronavirus. - tiresome
They spent their weekend
nights peeling out in circles
while evading cops. - some is forgiven
The crushing weight of
student loans becomes somewhat
lighter in a snap. - there’s always community college
Education is
too precious to let any
yokel in the door. - can’t spell ‘ain’t’ without ai
Listen up, nerds: I
don’t need no algorithm
to decide my fate. - penalty boxed
It’s quite a racket
that the government has when
it comes to bounced checks. - groundhog century
Does history make
progress ever, or are we
stuck in a time loop? - concert under the stars
A warm summer’s eve
as the bluegrass band takes the
stage before a crowd. - generation gaffe
Should we really know
TikTok and Dua Lipa
and “Euphoria”? - alternative school
Either for the real
geniuses or criminal-
ly inclined or both? - debt-free me
I owe nothing to
nobody, and that’s how it’s
gonna stay for now. - getting adult braces
Just like teenage years,
the metal braces steer these
wayward ancient teeth. - calendar vs. climate
Will the blazing heat
of endless summer ever
make room for fall leaves? - food is love
Every morsel a
hug, every calorie a
blessing. Food is love. - meme economy
We’re cranking them out
just as fast as possible.
Demand is so high. - cash free is the way to be
This venue accepts
only credit and debit
cards. As God insists. - power naps
I lie down on a
pad to recharge myself. So
does my dead smartphone. - palpable bitterness
Life’s too short to let
bygones be bygones. Embrace
the darkness within. - brownie à la mode
Ever dream of a
dessert only to have it
come true? Life is sweet. - the version in my head
Is canon. Ships the
best twosomes. Blows the effects
budget. Has endings. - zzz’s please
Sleep, a miracle
drug that heals fatigue and a
large set of ailments. - lizard in the house
How did you get in
here, little guy, and why are
you up on the wall? - droughts, fires, floods and debris
The weather tells us
in hurricanes and heat waves:
Climate change is real. - ragin’ contagion
The pandemic is
not over for millions of
vulnerable folks. - mortified on a daily basis
Thinking of little
else than stupid screwups from
20 years ago. - fall festival season
Bring on the art and
exotic foods and music
and cooler weather. - homecoming haze
Let the alumni
wander the halls and look back
on their good ol’ days. - the selfish friend
Always ready with
the wrong sentiment or the
discouraging word. - the bad boss
He berates as he
breathes, heaping scorn on the ones
he hired for work. - have you tried dried fruits?
Like a kind of food
parody where no one’s in
on the spicy joke. - daylight saving forever
At some point, we’ll stop
setting clocks back and live with
brighter days ahead. - the last half-season i forgot to watch
I will probably
never go back to see what
happened to my buds. - the pool is closed
Hang up the swim trunks.
Clear out the leaves and put on
the safety cover. - working the stadium concession stand
Band kids and their folks
shovel popcorn and serve hot
dogs to raise money. - fruity fondness
Gimme those hand pies
straight from fryer or oven.
Let me burn my mouth. - yelling, gesturing, repeating
Talking in vain while
listening to the band play
deafeningly loud. - shaky knees
Standing upright one
minute, feeling woozy the
next minute. What gives? - reno woes
The contractor was
supposed to start the project
sometime last Thursday. - home sweet home office
A place to pay the
bills, write novels and hide from
the whole family. - odd hours
Have breakfast at noon,
nap around dinnertime, go
to sleep at sunrise. - the hazing ritual
Get beaten over
and over because it’s how
we always do things. - the little farm stand
Minnie and Jed run
the place, showing off their fresh
produce and hay bales. - everyone has a price
Can you be bought? Are
your scruples for sale? Are you
unimpeachable? - fundamental telepathy
Do we really want
to know what people say when
we are not around? - waisted
These pants used to fit
me fine. Now they remind me
not to have dessert. - all dressed up
A night on the town
with my lady starts with fine
fashion and footwear. - candy shopping
Cheapest? Full bars? The
kind we like to nibble on?
Pennies and raisins? - waiting in the er
Not enough staff but
plenty of patients sweating
it out for hours. - in a dark alley
All he remembered
of the mugging was the gun
pointed in his face. - magic in the air
The witches’ ball has
ghoulish fun, cheap scares and a
VIP section. - potheads not prisoners
When will this country’s
criminalization of
marijuana end? - the spirit of all hallows’ eve
We scare ourselves to
feel alive, to face our fears,
to know true horror. - death takes a holiday
Honoring those who’ve
passed with fond remembrances,
lovely ofrendas. - candyland
Off to the stores to
rack up half-price chocolates
and various sweets. - the servers left behind
A restaurant can
only run short staffed for so
long before it fails. - what they did to get into college
The little dumdums
made up activities and
had others take tests. - what they did to get into college, part 2
They relied on the
worst stereotypes to dress
up their normal lives. - hour hands are tied
An extra hour
to set all the clocks inside
and outside the house. - the opening act
A band, not quite as
famous, but good enough for
the show’s early birds. - democracy at stake
A referendum
on the integrity of
our own elections. - the human purse
Pockets for keys and
gum, debit cards and lip balm
and whatever else. - southern snafus
Birmingham traffic:
280 sucks. Atlanta
traffic: Hold my beer. - veterans day … special?
Can we offer more
than discounts and fanfare to
those who served our land? - fall shower
Brilliant leaves of gold
and red and orange drifting down
from audacious heights. - at the marcus king show
A fan collapses.
Security guards surround.
CPR started. - shut out at the bakery. twice.
Surprise! Doors are locked.
Why hast thou forsaken me,
Google? I believed. - learning indian menus
Try a new dish and
record it in the log book.
Slow but rewarding. - first day on the job
Report to HR
to fill out paperwork and
show my ID cards. - a taste of sushi
She timidly tried
a bite, processing the smell,
texture and flavor. - the idlest boy in alabama
Staring at the clock,
waiting on an assignment,
ready for nothing. - beating hiv
Not just unlocking
the treatment, but also a
preventative shot. - the algorithm of crime
New patterns based on
old ones that oppress, detain
and discriminate. - a ball of stress
Unable to sit
still and relax, waiting for
the worst to happen. - bracing for family
Here come the in-laws
and relations to invade
our houses. Deep breaths. - thank you consequence
It’s a healthy thing
practicing gratitude … makes
you less of a dick. - foodie holiday
Gimme that pumpkin
pie, that gravy boat, some of
that homemade dressing. - the 15-hour pot roast
Every check on the
slow cooker lets out heat so
it’s even slower. - the late night visitor
She snuck in through the
dimly lit corridors to
tuck in beside him. - an ode to recruiters
Ready to sign you
up, ready to size you up,
gone just as quickly. - worth a thousand words
A beaming smile bursts
forth from the images of
our nights on the town. - debt free is the way to be
No more house or car
payments, credit card interest
or old student loans. - volunteering for the wrong reasons
Doesn’t matter as
long as you put more good and
giving in the world. - the truth is paywalled but the lies are free
Paywalled sites bear the
fruit of investigative
journalism, so … - beyond heartbreak
Even after we
oust them, abusive exes
continue their harm. - oh and dumbledore’s gay
Representation
after the fact shows a lack
of author backbone. - personal pillow valet
She brought her own to
sleep more soundly, tossing the
old ones from the bed. - beyond boundaries
If we don’t set them,
we handle relationships
at our own peril.
• • •
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