The Zingara Project

Tag: Ceta Poet in Residence

  • Mad Love by Chuck Taylor

    to say a word for our common tabby cat,
    to say a word for Oliver, senile now,
    my friends say, inside always now too,
    after the latest flap with a pack of dogs
    chasing him to a hiding place it took
    three days for him to come out of,
    old gimpy arthritic cat who we found
    in the garage after we bought the house,
    cat who we named Spook at first because
    you rarely saw the ninja warrior streaking
    from the food dish we set under the
    ping-pong table, but now an old purrer
    of laps and sleeping on your head in bed,
    Oliver, who has chosen me, out of some
    cat irrational need, to love best,
    though I never feed, though I have a
    backyard dog I take for country walks
    and have never liked cats, Oliver, lumbering
    across the floor, those large doe eyes
    looking up in mad love, begging an ear rub,
    a neck scratch, Oliver, Oliver, you could love
    my good mate, the one who bathes you
    the one who pulls off your fleas
    and trims your nails–but no, it’s me
    and only me, could it be my fabulous
    finger technique?–come on, give in,
    the mute glowing cat orbs say,
    let me on your lap, take this broken
    love and learn to tolerate
    so you learn to love–
    for you are broken too, eh?
    and mad like me for love

    —

    Chuck Taylor’s first book of poems was published by Daisy Aldan’s Folder Press in 1975. He worked as a poet-in-the-schools and as Ceta Poet in Residence for Salt Lake City.

  • Homage to the Horny Toad by Chuck Taylor

    Friend Montrose says Why don’t you play the lead
    in my next horror film? I’m filming in
    Junction where the motel rents are low. The
    Monster’s going to be the horny toad.

    I’ll film him close and blow the image up
    So on screen the horny toad looks large and
    Scary what with all that horny skin.

    That ought to work I say. We had them in
    The backyard down in Deadwood. They can squish
    Down flat or blow up big to scare away
    The wolves, the foxes, and the coyotes.

    You think you know these toads? Why they can squirt
    Bright red blood out of their eyes. That’s why I
    Am shooting the film in Technicolor.

    They’re tiny guys, but not scared of people.
    They’ll sit quiet on the palm of your hand.

    Carolyn’s said she’ll play the heroine. She’ll
    Be chased by what seems to be a giant
    Evil monster. Its sticky tongue will flick
    Out as if it’s going to swallow her
    Whole. A developer’s out to buy her
    Land and has trained the beast to chase her.
    Good thing you’re using the horn toad. No one

    Will recognize little guy made big on
    The screen. When I was a kid growing up
    I’d see them everywhere, but haven’t seen
    The horny toad in more than twenty years.

    —

    Chuck Taylor’s first book of poems was published by Daisy Aldan’s Folder Press in 1975. He worked as a poet-in-the-schools and as Ceta Poet in Residence for Salt Lake City.