2 Poems by Joseph Goosey

WHILE YOU GOT IT

Because war is eminent
I could say that war is eminent
but as you know
“war is eminent” is a stupid thing to say
especially when literal war
is literally eminent.

What isn’t eminent?

I didn’t get trampled by a prize winning horse today
but at 10:30AM tomorrow
getting trampled by a prize winning horse
may well be eminent.

The ceiling light in my bathroom is out
when even before the ceiling light in my bathroom went out
I believed bathroom murder
to be eminent.

Light all the candles,
dance in the mirror.

At work I stare at numbers and names while thinking of inheritance.

A tragedy so surprising you cough your kidney is eminent.

Without notice I’ve disappeared from your cadre.

Spill all the candles,
dance in the fire.


MEMORIUM

Sometimes I
others I

Am I going river enough for your taste?

A leg or two here and then there wraps around my neck; Nearly choking,
nearly suffocating, watching
every episode of the X-Files, thinking
Scully and I would be great friends
and I do the same during 60 Minutes
most Sundays. Me and Lara Logan
could easily overdraft on bison together.

If I hear “although” and “Syria” in the same sentence
in the next twenty four minutes
I am going to drive to Weymouth Woods and choke out the nearest red fox.

Barely even drank a thang and this is the swill which flows.

Barley.

Supposedly I’m allergic and eat the allergies with a soldier’s grin.

The Pulitzer prize.

An instructor once questioned
my ability to go on in such a manner
I answered
as long as conditions remain conducive.


Bionote

Joseph Goosey dropped out of the MFA program at George Mason University. His most recent chapbook is called STUPID ACHE and is available from Greybook Press. Joseph.Goosey@gmail.com