Mike Perkins- Three Poems

Mike Perkins lives and writes in Columbia, Missouri.



One Will Walk Away

in the end both
parties will know one has
won, and another has
lost, with no excuses no
room for nonsense as truth
disrobes dancing
wantonly bare assed in
your face no attempt to
cover up the private parts
of lives that
became
untangled with such
rapidity such
force as the
fog of ambiguity lifts to
reveal the scene of
an existential
execution one
will stay behind
standing
proudly unrepentant
as the other will surely fall ran
through
by the poison of
cupid's arrow



Marlboros

I was addicted first to you
then Marlboro Reds
sometimes the cravings
come back
both of you were
hard habits to break
that nearly killed me
just moments ago
it occurred to me
that if some fairy
granted a wish
that I could choose
one or the other
without suffering
any further ill effects
I'd cheerfully choose
a faithful companion
that reliably delivered
more pleasure
I'd light up a Marlboro
in vague
remembrance of you



The Little White House

there was anger there
in that little white house
and the scent of the household
was unfamiliar to me then
such that it took
many years to realize
who was responsible
what went wrong
when it started
how the clammy hand
of helplessness
held everyone down that lived there
such that some resigned their office
others raged
but you fought free
like a wild animal
that chews their own leg off
mad to escape the trap
there was anger there
in that little white house
but the odor of
it was fear
and a certain kind
of latent madness