J. Kevin Wolfe told the monkey, “I always had that problem of looking out the window. I was kicked out of Algebra II in the 10th grade for it. A few decades later, my cube has a view of a pine that gets irritated at the lightest of breezes. There are passionate sunsets in the winter. And a constant flux of cars overtop of 90% of the asphalt in the valley. They pay me to look out this window now. Never underestimate how far your weaknesses will take you. Sometimes I look out other windows. I call that poetry.”
New Poetry from the prolific friend of the monkey, dig won’t you…
Paper Ballots
We elect wrapping paper
(No spit all polish)
Cellophane
(easily seen
through)
because we don’t
know what
could be lurking
in opaque
So we vote the wrapping paper
of our conscience
(unless there’s namesake
in Dad’s wrapping paper)
The only issue is charisma
(What else?)
A smile, not too toothy
(we don’t want bite)
We don’t want policy
just heartfelt bravado
(Oh beautiful
for empty words)
Always fearing
that any more substance
(than a spangled balloon)
might tip the static quo
The Tree Watches Over The House
Hundred years ago
mama oak stood alone
in the summer
of a big flat wasteland
A someone
cut her knees
roughed her into boards
there chunked a human birthplace
Right beside mama
acorn grew
until the sharp summer sun
never pierced a window
yet he blocked not a stream
of genial light
in the razor air
of a January morn
Long as she stands so will he
as the tree
watches over
the house
the prospective model
come to my room
i have some grapes
they are wine in adolescence
red and green
blood and innocence
in this tiny fingered orb
hold it to the light
see the veins and freckles?
i split it
with my precise teeth
it says “kitsch”
but we know it lies
i place the other half
between the promise of your lips
you bite
i’ll kiss the sweetness dripping
from your chin
come to my room
i have some life
all poems
copyright 1999 J. Kevin Wolfe