What'll It Be?
by Charles Clayton
Uncork the bottle. Inspiration flows.
Wine loosens the lips. Inhibitions vanish.
Poetry. Songs. Stories.
Throat chakra freed
muses pour forth
laughter
mirth
joy
Uncork the bottle. Let it all hang out.
Wine warms the loins. Inhibitions vanish.
Passion. Lust. Heat.
Sweet nothings whispered.
Release
orgasm
union
Uncork the bottle. Happy hour.
Wine blurs the vision. Judgment fails.
Stumble. Slur. Double vision.
The key turns
drive
swerve
crash
Uncork the bottle. Pain denied.
Wine masks feelings. Tears held back.
Regret. Sorrow. Guilt.
The gun cocked
trigger
bullet
brain
Uncork the bottle. Let her have it.
Wine blinds. Fists fly.
Anger. Hate. Self loathing.
The kid watches.
Mom’s black eye
trapped
patterns
Will the muse
make up for
the hangovers?
Will the orgasm
balance out
the jailtime?
Will the songs
console
the battered woman?
Will the reverie
make up for
the sorrow?
Toast Goodbye to Summer
by Johanna DeBiase
Goodbye shallow murky rivers where we float in tubes and bury our ankles in minnows.
Goodbye bare shoulders streaked with tan lines and feet cracking open.
Goodbye buttercress and favas off the vine.
Goodbye outdoor music with hipsters drinking beer on patio chairs.
Goodbye camping road trips to orange rock caverns and alpine meadows.
Goodbye grass between our toes, sun on our bellies, wind through uncapped hair.
Goodbye, summer, goodbye.
