Shots Below the Brow
by Gary Hardaway
For the Reading
My poems
scarcely begin
before they're over.
Listen up.
The Smartest in the Room
His self-assurance says
he's practiced in the art
of self-deception
and murders nagging doubts
shaving at the mirror.
Why We'll Always Be A Disappointment
The great incentives
are money and power.
Love lies a distant third.
We play to our strengths.
New and Improved
which means they
found a cheaper way
that doesn't disappoint
so much that you won't pay
the slightly higher price.
Slacker Haiku
A cheap box of wine,
a carton of cigarettes-
he's set for the week.
Epitaph for One Still Breathing
A life so dull,
before it was lived
it was forgotten.
Homer at Happy Hour
Drown me in the dark wine
and not the wine dark sea.
Enjoyed these, Gary. Particularly Slacker Haiku.
Very nice, Gary. Epitaph reminds me of Jude the Obscure's plight.
I like the first.
It cuts.
These are fun! My most fave is Homer at Happy Hour.
My favorite: Why we'll always disappoint.
Good set, Gary. My favorites - Epitaph, Why We'll Always, The Smartest.
*
Thank you all for reading and responding to this little set.
"...and not the wine dark sea."
Love the whole of it.
Each one a dagger as well as a shot. Slacker Haiku especially speaks to me in the most disturbing of ways.*
Thank you, Jen and Gary for you kind observations.