I met him under the Young Street Bridge. He said his name was Donald. After a few hours of talking, I told him I might love him and he didn’t laugh or get nervous, like most grown-ups would. His hands were calloused; his fingernails were chewed down to nubs. When he touched his guitar strings, …
Category Archive: Citizens for Decent Literature
Mar 17
The sensitive poet
the sensitive poet takes narcotics the sensitive poet hides behind abstraction the sensitive poet becomes more literary when he drinks the sensitive poet sells himself the sensitive poet is offended when you don’t recognize his genius the sensitive poet dreams of immortalizing himself through his verse the sensitive poet is mindful of his purse the …
Mar 17
A poem for D.H.
every weeknight during the summer of 97 at about a quarter after midnight me and D.H. would catch the 17 we were both covered in soot and factory dirt but me worse than him (he had this way of keeping himself clean) and it took longer to get home on friday nights but at least …
Mar 17
White Power
I used to fight nazis With the straight edged kids Until I got tired of the violence Decided I’d start a zine and write about nazis The nazis got madder They sent me hate mail Addressed to: Michael Grover (Head of the communist party) I kind of liked that one I published the letters Word …
Mar 17
The Tale Of The Jewish American Princess
She used to give me blowjobs Speeding down I-95 Running my fingers through her hair Lake Worth to Deerfield She would swallow every drop Then kiss me with a lot of tongue I was doing my best to keep the car on the road What was worse was the long drive home alone Thinkin’ too …
Mar 17
Like a Library in the Suburbs
She said, You’re like a library in the suburbs You’re a fortress of solitude in some Arctic hideout You’ll never crack There’s nothing underneath Nothing trapped below your layer of ice And a neck craned And some eyes locked And someone knew someone was right And everyone looked away Silence is a lingua franca but …
Mar 17
Capitalized Words Extracted From an Unapologetic Ten-Page Letter
A COUPLE WORDS: HELP YOU I CARE ONE AND ONLY INTENTION NO IDEA YOU WERE STILL STUCK ON THIS REPEATED FRUSTRATED TERRIBLE DO SOMETHING A LOT A LOT A LOT I’M NOT THE ONLY ONE . . . WHO FELT THIS WAY YEARS ELITE LOST TERRIBLE COMPLICATIONS FROM MY SURGERY IN NOVEMBER KILLING ME AND …
Mar 17
Human Zoo
I asked Jane how she felt about the human zoo. “It’s a travesty. It’s a cultural abortion. It’s disgusting.” It was all those things. “You want to go?” “Yeah,” she said. “I could use some disgusting.” Dad loaned me the car when I told him I was taking Jane. He put the keys in my …
Mar 17
Eva
On all of my birthdays, I was reminded that it was the anniversary of Hitler’s suicide. One classless year, my family threw a Hitler-themed birthday party for me – eleven years old. I even got a swastika on my homemade birthday cake (because what decorator would make that?) which I proceeded to chuck at my …
Mar 17
Kinda Devil’s Canyon
Outside the Flamingo, fountains were erupting. Rollercoasters screamed by, through explosions of heat and light. Coins were dumped into the metal mouths of demonic machines. The Vegas Strip: full of mutants and glowing horrible neon lights. It was Tuesday night. Our room was climate controlled. There was a free burlesque show at 6am with steak …