The Phone Call and The Green Murk Crisis

THE PHONE CALL

(Inspired by a phone call on April 7, 1975 between a mother and son at 7:45 p.m.)

Dangle the receiver

by a length of its own

wire so that it

hangs inverted and

begins a swirling motion,

progressing in velocity

to a very high speed

(spinning either clockwise

or counter-clockwise),

and then-

allow it to subside

into a , once again,

inverted dangling receiver.

This relieves

much tension

and helps to spend

time in a wise manner.

"Are you

listening to

what I'm saying?"

she asked.

THE GREEN MURK CRISIS

(Inspired by a conversation in a restaurant between a mother and son at 7:45 a.m.)

While you sit there

Mom,

behind you,

in a tank of

neon green

water

I can see

a crisis occurring

as

the twenty-three

or so

inhabitants of

a live lobster display

crush

a twenty-fourth

lobster

into a murky glass corner,

and the

restaurant noises

continue

undisturbed.