Lon Kaufman
Lon S. Kaufman retired and began writing poetry in Winter 2021. A Professor of Molecular Biology, he served as Vice Chancellor & Provost at the University of Illinois at Chicago and subsequently, Hunter College (CUNY). Lon’s first published poem appeared last year in The American Journal of Poetry.
The following work is Copyright © 2023, and owned by Lon Kaufman and may not be distributed or reprinted in any form whatsoever without written permission from the author.
My Bronx Barbershop
Little men need to be out and get in trouble
so they can learn how to be out and get out of trouble
easy trouble, even “good” trouble, by dinner.
Bad trouble takes longer.
My son is nine. Always home in time for dinner.
Soon, he’ll be targeted for membership.
And then, one day
he won’t be home in time for dinner.
My Bronx barbershop has one seat
a wicked hot steam pipe
a sink with an ancient tobacco stain
a wooden drying rack
old-school tile
and a bathtub with cratered enamel.
If we can keep talking
as I cut his hair in our Bronx bathroom
maybe my son will be home
in time for dinner a little longer.
David Halliday
David has published poems, short stories, plays, art works in reviews and publications across the United States and Canada. He has had several published books: murder by Coach House Press. Winner of the 2001 Eppie for poetry. The Black Bird by. The Porcupine’s Quill. (poetry) Making Movies by Press Porcepic (poetry). Church Street is Burning, a book of poems, was a finalist in the 2002 Eppie for poetry. The God of Six Points, published by Smashwords -ebooks. Sleeping Beauty, published by LTD ebooks.com is a murder mystery. Finalist in the 2003 Dream Realm Awards. Winner of the 2004 IP Book Awards. The Hole, published by LTD ebooks is one in a series of cop stories. In 2007 David was short listed for the C.B.C. Literary Contest in poetry.
The following work is Copyright © 2023, and owned by David Halliday and may not be distributed or reprinted in any form whatsoever without written permission from the author.
Her Body
They found her body
next to his. On the beach
her neck slashed. His wrists too.
Both dried up in the mid day sun.
She was a Stewardess. He worked
at Walmart. Both dead. There was
no other relationship between them…
Of course you didn’t hear about
it. It happened ten years ago.
Did I forget to mention that.
Mary Claire
Tony adores me. But my mother
thinks he’s too old. Nineteen. My dad is five
years older than my mother. She
just doesn’t want me to
have a life. Did you hear
what Jennie said about Therese?
I would have died.
Tony can stand on his hands.
What a funny way to say that. Tony is so amusing. I think I was born
in the wrong century.
I don’t see why women should get
them and men don’t. Who decides
these things.
