Hoggers of the trough in Swilltown
the big swilldown in downtown
Warshington--the porcine provider--
a stable protuberance of aw aw
the crows caw
the last caw
fer alcohaw
git out, go home
ye can't stay here!
stay wimme
plaise
doungo
no
don't leevme lone!
A Break in the Action
(the actsheown)
breaker one one six
do you read me?
copy that, good buddy
over an out
damn spot
in which I hath
to say
or
knot
not
knout...
--start over, from the top, and--
action!
CUT Cut cut
STOP Stop stop
that's enuf
its a rap
its a trap
its wap wap wap
all nite long--
wap it up. To go.
In a ba-aggh.
Pa lease.
Wanted to stay in bed but could not with the sun up and shining through the window, illuminating the glass to a sheet of ice, so rose, 9 a.m., drank coffee then went to the folks-er-raunt for breakfast. Parked my car and went inside: some guy who followed me in said "that is not a parking spot you are in." I said "it is now," and sat at the counter. The guy grumbled a bit. Called me "asshole." I told him, "get fucked." He sat at the counter chewing his cud. The waitress came to me, said, "your car might get hit, sticking out as it is in the parking lane." I said "AWRIGHT! I will move it." And I did. I wondered if the guy would act-up, but he sat stiff-like as I ate.
5 a.m. ruminating--gloominating. Glomming onto past participles, predicates of no-thing doing--boo hoo hooing (Cheif Boo Hoo, old Screw-Loose, said take 500 micrograms of lysergic acid pour to see reality). Is sky, cloud, mountain "real"? No one can say, pour certain--best assume they are and I am, I guess; I guestimate. Await astral plane-ing in etheric matter dolorosa. Ponderosa. Pontificate. Poundian. ( Ezra. Goose-stepper, Jew shlepper, turned leprous nineteen fotty tree fotty fore.)
4 a.m., cold
moon peeking in at me
Knot Wright, Canadian Mounty.
blue sky 4 a.m.
4 i. m.
star barkle
Wayne F. Burke's poetry has been widely published online and in print (including at LOTHLORIEN POETRY JOURNAL). He is author of ten poetry collections--most recently, 2025, WHATEVER HAPPENED TO BABY WAYNE? published by Hog Press. He lives in Vermont (USA).