There is no corner house
for your latest desire but there is
a cozy duplex, just off Main,
behind the shoe repair
and water department. Two doors down
there’s a cute artisanal bakery
where cupcakes become dreams
and a toothless man rails for mince.

The Dutch Apple Chocolate
is sometimes dry. Other than that
it’s a quiet town, sunny and white,
where Kalashnikovs make wealth
and Lotto governs the poor.
The ringleader lights his flaming hoops
as lost girls play hopscotch w/religion
in their earbuds.

The way is cleared for the prophet.
The riser erected. The carpet tacked down.
The faithful stampede. Bring their kids to the show.
Tomorrow could be the be all and end all
but it’s still just a staircase, a footnote.

A cheap sleight of hand God sometimes uses
then overdubs strings. Then on Wednesday
the town board votes and on Thursday
another mass shooting.
—

Poems and music criticism have appeared globally but have yet to generate any reportable income. First full length collection, smitten by harpies (Lion Autumn Press, 2016) Second chapbook, Eve’s Venom (Post Traumatic Press, 2014), Purgatory Road (Pudding House Press, 2010) Anthologies include: WaterWrites & Riverine  (Codhill Press, 2009, 2007) Will Work For Peace (Zeropanik, 1999). VP, Calling All Poets in Beacon, NY. Producer of CAPSCASTS, recordings from Calling All Poets, available at www.callingallpoets.net.  Music features, interviews & CD reviews appear in Elmore Magazine & the Van Wyck Gazette.  www.mikejurkovic.com

He loves Emily most of all