an hour before dawn

an hour before dawn —
wondering how those songbirds
would taste for dinner

moonless night

moonless night —
a stray cat howls
for its lover

Order for the New Slave Trade

Editor: I don’t know what it means, but I find it offensive.
ESB: What specific thing about it offends you?
Editor: I’m not exactly sure.
ESB: That’ why it’s perfect.

May fog

May fog —
the echoes
of my footsteps

waiting room

waiting room —
staring at
my unmatched socks

not an auditory hallucination

This conversation actually took place about thirteen years ago:

Doctor: Mr. Bitter, I can say with 100% certainty that you don’t have a bleeding ulcer.
ESB: (smiles) That’s awesome! (or words to that effect)
Doctor: Yes. You have thirteen ulcers, and only three of them are bleeding.

starless night

starless night —
I’ll bet the “American Idol“
doesn’t have to walk the dog

May showers

May showers —
McDonald’s won’t take
my debit card

morning thunder

morning thunder —
all the blankets
on her side of the bed

morning thunder —
a light
in the hallway

morning thunder —
another phone call
not returned

auditory hallucination

“...dog wrestling in the cafeteria”

more rain

more rain...
coffee grinds
in my cup

8 days of rain

8 days of rain...
my daughter plays with
her engagement ring

blues battle

blues battle —
the guitarist’s
pained expression

New England fog

New England fog...
the dog sniffs
everything

here's your ticket, what's the problem?

I’m aware that you have no destination, and I’m bound and determined to get you there...

busted! and variation

busted!
my eyes navigate
her curves

my eyes
navigate
her curves

counter-affirmation du jour

I am phytoplankton food.

ragweed

ragweed —
the new boss
forgets my name

windless night

windless night —
a stray cat
in heat

prove it, she said

so I killed her parents and covered myself with their blood.
Who knew that all she really wanted was a poem and a dozen roses?

restless night

restless night —
the landfill’s
thickening stench

with apologies to Robert Johnson

crossroads —
a deal I didn’t make
with the devil

May showers

May showers...
where did I
go wrong?

Sacrifice

Where would I be without despair.com? Successful, perhaps?

Sacrifice: your role may be thankless, but if you’re willing to give it your all, you just might bring success to those who outlast you.

May 2nd

May 2nd —
the janitor sweeps up
May Day confetti

May Day!

For some context, read this post to see where I fit into the puzzle. As a word of warning, there are some pieces missing...

May Day! May Day!
who’s going to wash
our dirty dishes?