THIS WORKS PRESS
Entertainment
by Kerry Zagarella
Smashed face boy
Stretches our mortal skin
over his hideous skull
Eye sockets look up
As the manual says
Toys for all
He wants you to believe
Sweaty claws fused to the only remote
He is a small man
In every way
His torso
Bloated with falsehoods
Soul sold
His mother is not earth
Even she is done
He plays
His baby boy money game
It’s mine, all mine
He gurgles
From a mouth not fit for words
Nothing is straight
Never an answer
His game ends
In a rain of flaming metal parts and ash
He convinces most
They are blessed by this entertainment
While his body mutates with laughter
Wearing the armour of wealth
He will recover again
Less human everytime
While the minions
crown the king of privilege
They stare at the molten debris
Scratching holes in our sky
as it rains down
entertained
They ignore their burning flesh
And feel warm inside
Sesame
by Richard Martin
for Peter Kidd & Kerry Zagarella
​
We size the world to fit our problems
In schools, teachers
Demand order in the minds
Of young children
No leaping
No frogs or myths
Up the sleeve
That is why I am a post-post-expletive-modern
Card-carrying member of the star commune
I eschew preordained commands
The sky is pink
No, it’s rose
Now blue – trembling
Like a pair of green lips
This must mean it’s time for red wine
Fine cigars with friends
leaning against the custom fenders
Of silver machines
Let’s go somewhere
Cruise up and down an unpaved thought
Park our eyes on a celestial anomaly
Patch out on ribbons of hard rain
Come to a screeching halt
Make believe
Hello, my name is Santa Claus
What’s your
I’ve deposited your requests
In the sea
Where they swim with rainbow fish
And blue whales
That is why it snows and my beard
Is wonderfully white
It’s time to whisper twinkle twinkle…
Mystery is the portal in stars
Open
Sesame
THANK YOU to Dogtown Books 132 Main Street
Thanks to everyone who came out! Stay tuned for more events for A Child of Crane River!
