A Melamine Cup Drops

Poems by Jack Galmitz

*

Bang! Bang!

this is America

he yelled

*

under

the covers

I discovered

Her inside self

*

there were giants

once and then men

and now us

*

in the cat

a friend

I knew then

*

I’ll say this

coming from the showerheads

is poison gas

*

skating backwards

the letter “y”

came to mind

*

I have become

all things

that stand up

*

you will be well

provided for

spring flowers

*

a station of the cross West 4^th

^**

The car wash

bigger

& better

*

well, here I am
out of cigarettes
there’s a full moon

*

The Apocalypse
broadcast from all
available stations

*

laugher

will be forgotten

hereafter

A Vow

I wonder what you're doing
now it's 2 AM and I can't
sleep I've rumpled the sheets
with worry the shape of me
and you are you dreaming
now it's 2 AM of the day past
or days distantly hurts that stayed
with you are you sweating
or motionless are you breathing
through your nose or mouth
would you know if I were with you
would you sense me
the way a cat feels
a presence from another world
I'll put a pot of coffee on the stove
and wear my one piece pajamas
and walk on the wooden floors
maybe look out the windows
at the different views
and the lights staccato
watch the sky lightening
the appearance of the trees
and tomorrow

blue
light
saturates
a bird 


*
face
in
paint
the ceiling 


*


 losing my spot

in the rotation
for testing positive
may change
everything

*
What You Can Count On
lost boots
and the morning sun
was blinding snow
I had to get food
what was I to do
those shoes didn't go
out last night on their own
I started with the shelves
used a ladder for point
of view but nothing showed
up in which I could put
my toes I got systematic
removed the boxes from the closet
found letters, sweaters, slippers,
more dust than in a filter
but no boots where I put them
last winter which goes to show
you can't count on the inanimate
either
so


*
In Order that
next comes
after again
breathless
and practiced
as expected
you'd think
someone would
alter the order
but no, not around here
it's the same, damnit
you might as well
use acid to lubricate
the gears of a motor
it's that corrosive
how change is greeted
it's like we're still using
a zoetrope to figure motion
and clapping shouting
it forward I know
every moth hole
in my wardrobe
and every street
where there is a pothole


that's all folks