Three Poems by Jonathan S Baker

 

Late Night

 

I want to be your late night talk show host

I'll introduce you as beautiful and interesting,

and listen intently as you fill me in on your life.

Then we will lean in close to each other

as the camera cuts and we go to commercials.

When we return we'll both be laughing

with your hands touching my shoulder.

The audience will know that something happened

between us when we were away for the break.

Then I will introduce a performer

perhaps a musical act or a comedian or even a poet.

Jack Micheline was on Conan.

 

I'm sorry I haven't finished the book yet.

 

This happens every time

I pick up your book, the one you gave me this summer,

and I take it to the backyard and get high.

Two poems deep

and I'm grinning ear to ear.

I have to stop

and press the book warmed by sunshine

against my face and I think about

how my friends are my heroes

 

Living the dream

 

Something terrible and wonderful is happening.

Izzy Maxson is having nightmares.

They haven't slept for 5 days

and are noticeably feeling understandable duress

 

and I'm jealous as hell

because these are without a doubt

the most interesting dreams

anyone has ever shared with me.

I want the Tigerman to catch my scent

and follow me from Bangladesh

to an old trailer park

in the deserts of New Mexico.

I want to fly to the edge of space

in an elevator with Charles Manson

and just when we hit the black starry night

we will plummet towards doom

while Charlie talks his madness.

I want to drag a copper's corpse, just my latest victim,

through the halls of The Hollywood Roosevelt

trying not to get caught red-handed.

 

But I'm here at work

the same thing I did yesterday.

Only my knees hurt a little bit more today

 

and Izzy can't sleep.

It's been 5 days and they are getting worried

Jonathan S Baker is primarily composed of the stuff of dead stars and suffers from the same insecurities as everyone else.  They are the author of Cock of the Walk (Laughing Ronin Press, 2022) and Long Nights in Stoplight City (Between the Shadows Press, 2023) and Pressure (Two Key Customs, 2023).  They are also the host of Indiana's longest running poetry series, Poetry Speaks.