i am an eater of poets
a poetvampire if you will
sucking poetryblood from necks,
tearing out hearts
i have a lot of poethearts
cut the love out with a Ginsu steak knife
and eat it
nothing like good lovemeat from the hearts
of poets i hate
bitter & sweet
so ungood for me i know,
but i can’t help it
its in my nature
i'm a poetflesh cannibal
who destroys
and devours
eat the fingers of verse
for hours
crunch on the bones
pick a tooth
tell you poet, before i begin
that it’s going to hurt
its more than a pinch
more than a sting
more pain than you could ever believe
when i cut away,
bite into your poetmeat
for i am a poetmeateating monster
surviving off the fat of the land
hey you, where are you going
you with your striped shirt
tucked into dark blue pants
cinched to your stomach
you take too much pride in your work
i was just saying to myself
i could never scrape gum to gunk
off floors for a living
could never empty trash cans
of other people's trash
your hair is an oil slick
how much does someone like you
make on a job like this anyway
food to pay
bills to feed
hey you there
cleaning glass
sweeping Tuesday's accumulations
in a dustpan
wiping away coagulation
from between grooves,
cubbyholes and corners
you think you're better than me
i'm just a litterbug squashed
and sticking at the bottom of your sneaker
hey janitor with your rubber gloves
your air-freshening aerosols
your dynamic dust mop,
i salute you
and shall never take you for granted again
Are there any first aid kits?
Are there any hand grenades or babies in wicker cradles
In Las Vegas?
I hear they sell deer sausage in Las Vegas
is that true?
I hear they have that and pork butts there in Las Vegas.
Tell me something. Has anyone ever been impaled
On a pitchfork in Las Vegas?
Did a bangle tiger really maul Sigfreid
Or was that Roy?
What the hell are bangle tigers doing in Las Vegas
Any friggin’ way?
Does Anne Bancroft live there?
That’s what a publicist originally from Las Vegas told me.
Do they serve meatloaf with smothered mushrooms
In the diners there?
Do they even have diners in Las Vegas?
Is there a Rally Burger, a Whataburger,
a Big Boy Burger
In Las Vegas?
Is there anything called a Tasty Pastry Bakery there
in Las Vegas?
I might move there you know.
People who live in Las Vegas,
are they called Las Vegans?
Are there any out houses or jook joints in Las Vegas?
How good are the vodka tonics in the Las Vegas bars?
I bet I couldn’t get a watermelon martini in Las Vegas.
Does Belinda Carlisle live there?
Can I get a few candy-covered poker chips dipped in candy?
Where’s the nearest brewery in Las Vegas?
Where can I get a v-neck sweater and a jackhammer?
I want some beer nuts and a Long Island ice tea.
Can I get such things in such a city like Las Vegas?
Chandeliers and diamond-studded flip-flops.
Can I actually get these things in Las Vegas?
Do they have apple butter by the jar in Las Vegas?
Has Tina Yothers ever past through?
How’s the peach cobbler?
How’s the butter nut bread in Las Vegas?
Can I get a booger-green blender in Las Vegas and a class ring?
Any pink carnations?
Got fruitcake?
Are the men cute in Las Vegas?
Is there an Office Depot or a Bennigan’s?
Can I get a crate of crowbars in Las Vegas?
What in the world is in Las Vegas?
Shane Allison has been published in over sixty magazines and journals including online journals such as Gnome and The Doomed City. His first book, Black Fag, is now available from Future Tense Books.