Vibrato Ghazal
Like a trembling tower of fruity gelato,
ladies and gentleman—my vibrato.
Elegy for My 1958 Volkswagen
Beautiful blue beetle,
curved and dumpy, lovely
as a lumpy German mädchen
overly fond of kartoffeln.
True Story
I can’t escape the possibility
I was meant to own a Zamboni
but got stuck with three can openers instead.
Or that I should have kissed your knees
last night when you got home
from being with your friend
who just had her cat killed.
“Switch Plate” by Al Ortolani
The day moves by me, and I’m still
at the same old desk …
Full of It
The moon swallowed the sun in one mouthful;
kept her maw open wide—spit him out full.
On the days she feared he’d devour her,
she fed him sweet treats to keep his snout full.
Paragon
To eat sweet corn straight off
the cob, just shucked—
no one ever told me I could do that, like
no one ever.