April 27 –  May 3, 2020: Poetry from Mickey J. Corrigan and Diane Puterbaugh

A Reconstruction of the
Evidence Against Me

1.
my driveway was dark
until it wasn’t and the moon
a vanilla wafer
thin, iced
quivered above a gleaming
white Escalade
engine running rumble.

2.
a black-clad passenger alighted
small crumpled bag in hand
crossing the yellow line
while the driver sat smoking
old man like a pocked cow
until I stood by his window
and she spoke kindly at first
until she didn’t.

3.
insults pierced the starless
sky shrill and accented
a foreign tongue familiar
violence in any language
impounded without reason
and the wind blew hot
palms rustling like a priest’s gowns
at a night funeral.

4.
delivery done
the dealers departed
tires screeched a warning
the threat of return
trash brushing my bare feet
cigarette butts, newspaper, Styrofoam
empty of life, of purpose
I went back inside to TV blare
while the man in the apartment
across the street
sighed, found God.

Gurgle on a hotel notepad

1
On top of the glass dome
the wind is from the west
but inside
escalator
aprons and sneakers
waterfalls and blue shirts
a dad with a bad mood
on the Delta

2
A couple sits on a bench
their backs to the waterfall
gurgle gurgle
The man raises his arm
maybe thinking the woman
will lean back against him
but they are not sitting
close enough
the man lowers his arm to fill the space

3
Fat girls in cowboy boots
like a country western song
riding the escalator

Ding Ding Ding Ding

4
150 lumens

The little copper lantern on
our balcony has 2 energy saving
bulbs, but only 1 is lit

5
Conventioneers
with black backpacks
sagging with laptops
Everyone is in jeans including
the woman I remember from this morning
who was trying to run to the convention
in high heeled boots

6
2 bald guys with
black backpacks wear white shirts and
black vests, but just when I thought
I understood the dresscode
here comes a bald guy
with a red shirt

7
A fake riverboat on a fake
river surrounded by fake rocks

Ding Ding Ding Ding

Lots of presidents have gurgled
and slept here
Here in the presidential suite
with a view of the escalator

8
Conventioneers
on their phones:
“I’ll bring these ideas
to the home office. I’ll
bring a spark to the team.”

9
A man in a black suit
walks behind a woman
in a black dress and black pumps
gurgle gurgle
He never takes his eyes off her
Honestly, neither do I

(Gaylord Opryland Hotel and Convention Center)