Joseph Robert- Three Poems

LET'S RECALL ONLY THE GOOD THINGS

Go ahead,
Tap a fingernail on the side of the sealed jar
Holding that hideous vegetable
My pickled inner-child
A phony specimen in the first place It was carved from a dried crabapple Go ahead,
Pretend it was ever alive

ACCEPT E-CERTIFICATE?

Break nothing in this life
Except "You Break It You Buy It" signs Over their shop keep heads Unsecure? Unsecure?!?!
I'll consult you straight on that front, gentleman
This is the personal business of the dehumanized!
Our tripes and fine PINs
Are destined for cannibals and morticians

ZONE OUT

Tuesday Brain Dead
Each Year Aching the Knee
Happy Day Sunday's Party
Niece's Third Birthday Cake
A Reminder: Next Week's Appointment at the Dentist's
Would Laugh
But Too Tired
To Go to Bed
Being Drab
Again, Plan to Fix the Problem
Of what's Best to Do
In This Quiet <slipping, tripping, fuzzy frenzy> Instant

Joseph Robert's poetry has appeared in Decanto, Unlikely Stories, Dead Snakes, The Journal, Mistress Quickly's Bed, Pyrokinection, The Commonline Journal, Mudjob, Spinozablue, Black Mirror, Message in a Bottle, Bluepepper, Eunoia Review, Inclement, Leaves of Ink, The Open Mouse, The Open End and The Insert Coin Here Anthology. His joint poetry chapbook with his poet wife Leilanie Stewart has been reviewed in Sabotage Magazine.