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1. getting lucky
   Luck can be found in
   a four-leaf clover or a
   session of hard work.
2. the long detour
   She missed the turn but
   cheerfully announced that we’d
   get there soon enough.
3. kinda like macrotransactions
   Microtransactions
   give unfair advantages
   to those who can pay.
4. to renew ourselves
   Blossom in the sun.
   Breathe deep the seasonal air.
   Bounce toward the new.
5. videosis
   The algorithm
   feeds us reel after reel as
   we stare in stupor.
6. the youngest leader in the world
   She will stand up to
   dictators and still get down
   with her compadres.
7. the forever artist
   The machine cranks out
   Picassos in the style of
   modern day Rembrandt.
8. defense against the dark artists
   What will deter the
   all-consuming computer
   from scanning it all?
9. the woman who tore down women
   Assured in her own
   gender, the author decried
   others as faux girls.
10. peddling lies
    Even they couldn’t
    be bothered to feign interest
    in the dreck they sold.
11. school’s out for springtime
    Sleep in and play games.
    Put homework and studying
    on the back burner.
12. and for her next job …
    A better health plan,
    more time off and, of course, a
    bigger salary.
13. brunch impossible
    All the late risers
    and church folk eyed the waiting
    list with deep hunger.
14. paperwork of getting older
    Where do we keep our
    accounts? Who’s our main doctor?
    What are the passwords?
15. the old man at the door
    She found him in need,
    as ungrateful as ever.
    Still, she didn’t run.
16. the lost art of pranks
    Have we lost our touch
    with practical jokes and their
    hilarious ends?
17. well-publicized trysts
    Their encounters caught
    on pics were the only proof
    of enduring love.
18. new flavors of every food
    Weird potato chips,
    cereals from candy bars
    and mincemeat cookies.
19. return to office or else
    Bosses need someone
    to boss around, have under
    foot, doing the work.
20. lunacy in the bedroom
    The grunts and flailing
    limbs, awkward positions and
    preposterous faces.
21. happy birthday, jen!
    Older and wiser,
    happier and sexier,
    primed for a great year.
22. other birminghams
    Michigan, Kansas,
    England, Indiana and
    three in Ohio.
23. the landfill fire
    Bad garbage with good,
    set aflame and still smoking
    after all these months.
24. the pastel ritual of spring
    Easter bunnies and
    spring chickens team up to hide
    fancy eggs from kids.
25. i’m an introvert ama
    I like to talk one-
    on-one and explore the vast
    reaches of the mind.
26. making radio
    A cup of coffee,
    some fresh tunes, a hot mic and
    a little banter.
27. flea market finds
    Branded candles and
    patriotic flags, T-shirts
    and some handmade soaps.
28. home movies
    Why bother with the
    pricy theater when we
    can watch on streaming?
29. shopping mall makeover
    A new store here, a
    refurbished store there. Shoppers
    flock to their havens.
30. the intuitive eater
    Listen closely and
    you will hear your body ask
    for the correct food.
31. compulsive saving
    Squirreling away stray
    dollars in case of rainy
    year. It pays to save.
32. hot flashes, cold stares
    The bed is too hot.
    The bed is too cold. The bed
    is not to blame, dear.
33. your tax dollars at work
    Give every paycheck
    and give more at tax time and
    get cheap governance.
34. the tattered yard
    Mud holes surrounded
    by sprouting weeds and patchy
    grass. Needs an upgrade.
35. she takes good care of me
    A place for me to
    unwind, to be fed, to be
    treated like a king.
36. tornado alley
    Beware the darkened
    skies and nearby polygons
    for they bring ill winds.
37. the reign of the drag queens
    A man in a dress.
    But won’t somebody please think
    about the children?
38. the case of the $80 cinnamon rolls
    Apparently the
    kind rich folks eat on their yachts
    while sipping champagne.
39. standing room only
    A sea of bobbing
    heads, a breeze of skunky weed,
    a band set to rock.
40. to the dump
    The pickup only
    gets AM, hauling off our
    treasured pile of junk.
41. the great car cleanup
    We reach over and
    under seats to collect the
    mountains of discards.
42. gen pop
    Alabama builds
    more prisons while the people
    suffer in silence.
43. the super closet
    The wire shelves and
    baskets give every item
    a place to hang out.
44. puppy training pays off
    The obedient
    dog demonstrates his newfound
    calmer demeanor.
45. shorties at a concert
    Enjoy the back of
    someone’s head while sipping on
    an overpriced beer.
46. the poet’s charade
    Is this really a
    verse about me or someone
    else? It’s up to you.
47. weaponizing southernness
    Who are these weirdos
    selling biscuits in our back
    yard? Pricy and twee.
48. jackass, md
    He barely glances
    at the patient and huffs that
    he’s late to dinner.
49. all growing because of climate change
    Hurricanes, fires,
    droughts, rain showers, heat waves, floods,
    blizzards, tornadoes.
50. but i don’t get dance
    Their artistry moves
    you, their athleticism
    inspires wonder.
51. the death of a potato chip dynasty
    The damn yankees snatched
    up a hometown favorite
    just to watch it die.
52. the hardest person to forgive
    You screw up, and you
    get upset. But it’s OK
    to be imperfect.
53. dead to the world
    He would not get up,
    despite the yelling and the
    banging on the door.
54. the next big leap
    Ready for a change,
    stepping out into the world
    of books, beer, BAs.
55. football on skates
    Drop the puck, y’all, and
    let the brawl commence. Even
    the South loves hockey.
56. fail, fall, fool
    Will it be a good
    summer if you’re repeating
    the 10th grade?
57. counting macros
    This bite will cost me
    18 calories and an
    extra 20 reps.
58. summer’s coming
    Only a few more
    school days to go till the great
    forgetting begins.
59. don’t pay me in candy, weirdo
    I expected cash.
    Instead, I got a Twix and
    a goddamn Mars bar.
60. journey on the mississippi
    Paddling along the
    grand waterway in search of
    an old legacy.
61. living in trailers
    A cheap version of
    the American dream, home
    sweet mobile home.
62. too much celebrating at janet jackson
    The party guy is
    carefully escorted from
    his seat to the door.
63. the vinyl vanguard
    Fans who want a piece
    of the artist collect disks
    of recorded songs.
64. hot to trot
    Several suitors
    vie for sexy time with a
    foxy bachelorette.
65. the graduate 2023
    BA in TikTok
    with minor in CRT,
    ready for the real world.
66. tcby not
    Everyone has that
    one business they can’t support
    because it sucks bad.
67. learn the ropes
    Knots: fun to tie, hard
    to remember, not just for
    Boy Scouts and sailors.
68. ode to my therapist
    Listening to my
    nonsense and giving tips for
    over a decade.
69. listening is a superpower
    It takes focus and
    selflessness. We must truly
    engage with others.
70. careful folding
    Perfect creases turn
    common paper into a
    magnificent crane.
71. cookout prep
    Scrape the grill, prep the
    meat, stock up on charcoal and
    locate the lighter.
72. streamer’s paradise
    An effortless way
    with words, a gift for wasting
    precious time online.
73. gendered ghetto
    When you don’t fit the
    standard categories for
    awards in your field.
74. addicted to combat
    If the U.S, is
    good at one thing, it’s fighting
    in war after war.
75. ticketma$ter
    An artist must sell
    tickets, but must they use the
    worst company? Yes.
76. the challenge of cheap social media
    To learn more about
    us, endlessly scroll through our
    random Instagram.
77. on strike
    Writers bond while on
    the picket line, gathering
    momentum each day.
78. dietary needs
    More sugar, more carbs,
    a radical change in what
    I consume daily.
79. amphibians after hours
    Tiny frogs hopping
    into the pool to play and
    swim all through the night.
80. tome sweet tome
    She searched box after
    box, looking for an old book
    that’s been on her mind.
81. green tea at the japanese supermarket
    It’s here somewhere in
    the aisles, hiding among a
    bevy of products.
82. date night
    Get gussied up for
    an evening of fancy drinks
    and lavish dining.
83. moping around the house
    Too alone with no
    plans, no activities, just
    me and depression.
84. a fitness competition
    Who can do the most
    sit-ups, squats and miles? Winner
    gets a hernia.
85. murder city
    Bullets are flying,
    people are dying, and the
    cops are in the dark.
86. summer travel pro tip
    Better get to the
    airport early, so they can
    cancel your first flight.
87. carbon zero
    Take out all the stray
    dioxide and pump it straight
    into solid ground.
88. spirited away: the drama
    Master film becomes
    whole new beast as staged play with
    fantastic puppets.
89. try this one stupid trick to vanquish censorship
    Banned books are the best
    books, but you’ll have to find that
    out all on your own.
90. what a drag brunch
    Fabulous ladies
    bring mimosas, croon Gaga
    and spread love to all.
91. baker’s lament
    The layers aren’t quite
    flat enough, and the icing
    is full of loose crumbs.
92. attention deficit
    We compete for her
    favor, thinking up ways to
    win her heart and mind.
93. a depressive state
    Not so much dreaded
    as defeated. Familiar
    feeling of the funk.
94. the block of new garbage cans
    Up and down the street,
    they stand at attention for
    the garbage truck’s hook.
95. mid-morning bathroom break
    He came from nowhere
    to use the facilities,
    slipping out softly.
96. correspondence corner
    It’s always nice to
    get a thank you note, written
    with care and kindness.
97. summer is here
    Sprinklers and lightning
    bugs, cold drinks and barbecues,
    longer days for fun.
98. phantom boxcars
    The alarms clanged with
    the gates down, but no train passed
    through the lone crossing.
99. roe v. wade, 1973-2022
    Five justices quashed
    women’s reproductive rights
    in a single vote.
100. the first anniversary
     Today, we drink to
     our couplehood after 1
     year of lovely dates.
101. for the siskels and eberts
     Can a critic who
     hates the work offer a good,
     fair-minded review?

• • •

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