where it goes

what is needed no more
a cast an olive an altar
state of being coincide
a beef a mule a fool
hiding behind the jester
open wide follow inside
jackrabbit lantern stew
follow inside you
open the door and follow some more
it's not that it will.  it will
falter your horizons
testing doors that bathroom you
giving no asides
a pauper a pen a fool
live beside you
living on you
no flea for portable
just living on time
an order for living
spinner snap order that
a paper comes handy
merry go round 
as luck would have it
in jester form
roundabout the floor rides
is it beer or booze
float the paper cake
cut from magazines
pulp for filling
sawdust for your mind
it's not so easy when you're joking
the joke disappears
what did you say
don't say that.  it's not funny
that's okay, it's out of my mind
until some trick becomes fey
try another word will you
but words are hard to come by
most often misunderstood
and on the way down it's sleep
sometimes better that way
and then there's dreaming

denis streeter    2/6/21

transform

there are times
when I can look out on deck
and think that I am the luckiest man on the face of this planet
it's 10pm.  i turn the deck light on
in the distance is rain streaked with light
words can't capture the magic
light and water comes closest
energy equals mass times the speed of light squared
this view from my deck
you can not see
you can not feel
is a moment of time
a moment of quiet elation
magic to bring the dark times light

denis streeter   1/31/21

history of the mind

 

to pull a pick

to pick a pack

you don't want this

you just want that

a bathroom tore

a flood of time

a stick of wool

to prick a rhyme

a tinker ship

to troll the wool

a winding whip

to tame it full

to add a job

you don't ask why

you do not add

you nair apply

ice cream for plot

but don't know why

the dream's upset

the need not cry

the creature said

just go to bed

or fish instead

inside your head   

you wake before

the raven's crow

just say no more

defer to poe

you want some time

a little more

to eat a rhyme

you can't ignore         

i bid farewell

two lines are left

i know you won't

be much bereft

denis streeter    11/21/20

a walking

a bucket
a man
a riddle a plan
ride the barrel
round the block
where the fillings are fat
the chicken  slow
the pitter  pat
the fox you know

denis streeter    11/22/20

one fine day

two pots and a kettle
somebody left the whiskey on
it was dry as a bear and stiff as a creek
drinking leaves and tilling glasses
what the cats dragged in dogs shatter
gathering trees to milk their glasses
as the sun poured in
the ground began to flower
parched and wet and rye
still streams begin to dry
and bees begin to laugh
starched out of their minds
and labs flow and collies laugh
two doors begin to snow
and there was evening
next day
the crick began to fall, the ovens lit open
the time to tame the beast was done
it was tender and well baked 
and the cornbread was wise as it was tall
a sickle creams
a donkey braise
doors gulp and gasp
and jesus sighed

denis streeter   11/11/20

a joke

sometimes delves right in heart of the matter

and doesn't even know it

a fly, a pence fly

and one of my earliest pieces

polka dotted horseflies

i do not ask them why

all i do is duck my head

and hope they pass me by

i can recite it without thinking

without thinking

some might turn and frown

you know that polka dotted horsefly you think is funny

was infected by the corona virus

my best friend was infected by the virus

and you have to talk about disease

and i find myself saying

that's not what i meant!

but it's too late now

the idea is stuck in their head

i find no words

no jokes

after all

covid is a serious matter

denis streeter    10/9/20

pence fly

i saw it land on pence's head
at first i didn't believe it
i thought it was a glitch of the tv set
but i kept watching
the pictures changed, but the fly remained the same
it was not something i could scrape off
did the fly like his ointment?
at least for 2 minutes?
it was a change of pace
and i thought to myself
how could he not notice?
is he that unflappable?
but then I heard
hillary clinton had that same fly issue
could they be related?
not clinton and pence
i mean the fly

denis streeter    10/7/20