WORDWRIGHTS #11 Fall 1997 Edition $3.95 US $4.95 Canada
POETRY by Karren L. Alenier Ben Asher Floyd Bass George Benoit Michael H. Brownstein Nancy Naomi Carlson Geraldine Connolly Karma de Gruy Roland Flint Martin Galvin E. Gibble Sid Gold Miriam Hartstein Jonathan Hayes Susan Holliday Lisa Hurwitz Reuben Jackson Bruce A. Jacobs Lisa Kosow Reginald Sinclair Lewis Michael P. McManus Hayley R. Mitchell Elisabeth Murawski Tim OKane M.A. Schaffner Henry Taylor Jana J. Turbyfill Kitty Yeager
PROSE by Jodi Bloom Philip K. Jason Tim Lockette Cassius Mitchell Tim OKane
GUEST EDITOR: Elizabeth Hazen
FRONT COVER: Hayley R. Mitchell
HOME
A poem by ROLAND FLINT
BMW: BERKSHIRE MASSAGE WORKS
The back-ache is nearly gone, thanks
to time and the homosexual masseur,
damned strong and bigger than you are,
whose ads say BODY & SOUL ARE ONE,
and who stretched out the big trunk
muscles to the right of the spine,
from mid-back to under-shoulder,
and every other too, plying lotion
(called Kiss My Face), short digits,
forearms, and muscular diligence.
One question lifts its head, as yours
did (well a little) during the hour:
why were you recalling an avid woman
(you never quite had, unless by hand,
as he kneaded about your upper thighs,
bending your knees up to your chest?)--
tawny as cream sherry, forty-two,
who moaned along with your bliss,
and rubbed you into her breasts,
saying, Mmm, this, this is it--ooo,
which is among your sexiest dreams.
Contentedly hetero as you think
you are, what connects these times?
Was it the massage which made Dick,
as Cheever says, put on some weight,
or a fantasy to keep you straight?
A poem by E. GIBBLE
A CAT LEARNS ENGLISH
She screams at him.
Their fights explode
like bulls out a rodeo chute.
An orange tabby cringes on the sill,
shouts washing over her like heat
off the hood of a car.
A door slams, something about
phone calls to Albany and how
could you. Something about
take your damn cat and get out of here.
A poem by FLOYD BASS
WHAT TO DO IF YOUR HEART STOPS
1.
Do you remember the first
time you went to the skating rink?
Couples swirling across the ice
cutting flawless arabesques
or else, zipping by faster than quarks.
You pushed away from the wall, trying to stand
on shaky ankles. Such an awkward
feeling comes again when your heart stops.
2.
People worry that their hearts will stop during
orgasm. Actually, it is just after, when your body
is cycling through those shadow changes, that your heart
is more likely to stop. At least you are
already lying down, presumably
with someone you love. Make any needful
gestures until your beloved calls 911.
If, however, you are with your spouse when your heart
stops, dont confess your infidelities. If you feel
you must say something, see stanza 4.
3.
Most heart stoppages occur in the home.
Say you are in the kitchen building a crab
salad hoagie when suddenly your heart stops. Quickly
look around for a safe place to fall down
then fall down quickly. What if you are sitting
in the living room eating the sandwich
and watching Sally Jesse Raphael when your heart
stops? Put the sandwich down. Assume
airplane crash position.
4.
About the last words thing.
Unless you have rehearsed for a really long time,
you will have to speak off-the-cuff.
Best to keep it simple. We are having exceedingly
dry weather for this time of year is a good thing to say
when your heart stops. You may decide to try for something
more cryptic. Do you remember any of your high school Latin?
Dont say Rosebud, unless you are in a situation
similar to the one described in stanza 2.
5.
In general, if your heart stops, press your lips together.
Use any needful gestures until your beloved calls 911.
Make yourself as comfortable as possible. That awkward
feeling will pass, one way or another.
