Small Budget Poems
Pure
What commerce doesn't corrupt
dies its own unnoticed death,
pure except for that implicit
collapse in every particle
or wave. Nothing's pure
but nothing refuses to be imagined
and can't be photographed
or data-mined or talked to.
All the Pretty Poisons
Toxins make a body happy
as if acceleration toward
an end of consciousness
is its own reward.
I'll take mine black.
Or tawny gold, no ice.
Day Off
Enjoy the shit
you didn't do
because the work
you attend to
all other days
sucks you dry
of vital fluids.
English Is an Entertaining Language
Affluence, effluence—
but a vowel's bit
of difference.
Freaks
Our species survived
as a freak of nature.
How unfortunate for nature.
Big Sky Apocalypse
When the collapse comes
the Koch brothers will starve to death
in Idaho or Montana
or one of those wingnut states
where the sky
if you really look at it
will tell you what a small piece
of cosmic dust you are
so you focus on fences
and tax rates
to save you from
existential disaster.
What commerce doesn't corrupt
dies its own unnoticed death,
pure except for that implicit
collapse in every particle
or wave. Nothing's pure
but nothing refuses to be imagined
and can't be photographed
or data-mined or talked to.
All the Pretty Poisons
Toxins make a body happy
as if acceleration toward
an end of consciousness
is its own reward.
I'll take mine black.
Or tawny gold, no ice.
Day Off
Enjoy the shit
you didn't do
because the work
you attend to
all other days
sucks you dry
of vital fluids.
English Is an Entertaining Language
Affluence, effluence—
but a vowel's bit
of difference.
Freaks
Our species survived
as a freak of nature.
How unfortunate for nature.
Big Sky Apocalypse
When the collapse comes
the Koch brothers will starve to death
in Idaho or Montana
or one of those wingnut states
where the sky
if you really look at it
will tell you what a small piece
of cosmic dust you are
so you focus on fences
and tax rates
to save you from
existential disaster.
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154 words
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Author's Note
At times like these one must husband resources.
Other stories by Gary Hardaway
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These are great. Enjoyed all of them. *
Delightful , thrifty and very entertaining!
Good economics here, Gary.
"in Idaho or Montana
or one of those wingnut states
where the sky
if you really look at it
will tell you what a small piece
of cosmic dust you are"
-especially like. *
On point. "Pure" is my favorite for its complexity. (Seems like I always go for the most complex one.)
"Day Off" is my favorite. *
Oh, and about the Koch brothers. I'll keep my fingers crossed.
Very nicely done Gary. Loved the economy of words. Less is more ... definitely.
"nothing refuses to be imagined" I especially like BIG SKY APOCALYPSE here, but all of it a very fine read!
Enjoyed them all, but the idea of the Koch bros suffering in a wingnut state was especially pleasing.*
I liked "English Is an Entertaining Language" and "All the Pretty Poisons"*