the times were coming

When the plans stayed in place

Oven driven orange rind

Kneading tomorrow flying away 

Over window sills side gathering

Checking living room left behind

Liquid green and livered orange

Smash between two nets

Moon sung curtains sugar and hide
Drunk as cockerel spin

Stuck between faces

Ladles flounder.  

Leaven short of space

Fish break feeding masses

Oven canoes a shade becoming

Early by design

Sleep opens the deep.  It's already there.

Open dream book.  No texting here.

Where you are is guessing.  Read between the lines.

That circus, that merry go round

Keeps spinning.

Denis Streeter.  3/2/19

it's got to go

the chickens were potworthy underdone
always squawking the fence
too many kibbles behind the door
too many huts for the salad handle
a cashmere sweater and honky tonk wine
that's where they rather
splicing the blues with a gaffer
all the commotion with none of the wind
force feeding seminals for arrival
the dogs were eating the cats gravy
the husbands hadn't arrived
grass was burning, but it didn't matter
katzenjammers notwithstanding
a corpse a feather a sack of wine
nothing to follow the blather
the socks were for hanging. there were no gallows
a shred of lightning longing for sun
it's what you'd expect under the gun
the flannel wolfs with the lamb
dungaree doggerels but it doesn't matter
a locksmith to snicker the blather
it doesn't come or go.  it smiles in place.
rabbit stew wolves in trace
it's a cockamamie proposition
cabbage and wire, pasty and wren
always ready for feasting
grab a stick and badger up.  it's not for burning
wine and assholes never mix.  they just confide.
it's a caper in the making
settle down.  I got this now
chicken on out
cows got the jumper cables
just need some traction.  there.  that's nice.
insert caption where needed
right here? no.
it's got to go.


denis streeter    2/28/19

inventory maps

smile in the corner
rhythm in her face
curls eye aside
last year's plate
internetting hassles
business pushed aside
those shell soled shoes, aware shaped hats
that trap behind the glasses
that sorely laugh decline
hiding in thumbs to hitch a ride
what do you do?
trickled in varnish to jeckyll your hyde
no body wants to formaldehyde           
so hard to clean when the baby breaks
where does it go?  why all the cracks?
open a bottle.  its' friendly flows
they know they guess
they guess they do
why does the fire go out?
someone telling souls aint right
disturbing a comet frightens the math
what does that engender?
numbers cross the page
don't tell the wizard
go have a drink
he always eats the math
some path for a guess
some guru digress
writers have a go
stories symbolic imagining maps
inventory counts, bathroom breaks
dog soaks in bath to comfort his chain
drinking badly toes his thinking
shuffling shoes muffling cries
don't know what the soaks are thinking
you might be crazy, your the pariah
shading slides, they to who
you become me, but you won't care
shedding guest an epitaph
won't be a proper move
go to the stable
the chess piece is there
you will never know
don't got the words
I won't address the math
their negative square roots
I punch the crack, break the wall
pull up the floor
revising and reviving
recusing the math


denis streeter   2/16/19

what it's not

an inclement is not a spade
a mint made with wrinkles
it is a unit of measurement
it is the inclementation of the possible
a fermentation of the snot


denis streeter   2/15/19

potential ending

the air force was beyond blameless
just a figment of the sky
writing seems pointless
it wandered on and on
figures beyond the horizon
let drag ons be bygones
the suitcase reproof
supper ensues
more red than white
more dice than pickled
more yoked than white
leftovers look better
pick up your dice and roll again
there's stew on the horizon
leap on that plane and go
it's here and there
destination unknown
a fickle pickle knows it
next beyond x why z
whooda thought pickles knew pleasure
cradling oysters oxbow stew
tripping the brain and dressing the brow
odd overboard but it comes that way
easter steeples and all that
where are all the peoples?
no service yet
breakfast feast and berry your brain
you put on that comfort cat
it's over there. hiding.
remove the fresco mole in wall
it's no cat and mouse
more mole and less otter
check the squalor control button
is it working?
it's under the wood in the basement
careful of splinters
they like to get under your skin
check your right elbow.  is it still there?
the dryer is empty.  check the snore button
it's in the dishwasher
careful of the static.  there's no rug left
careful of the questions nobody asked
add a little gravel
gravel grinds grates alliterate
but not asexual.  too much umbrage
cat caught the pickle.  let it go
wagging the tale
it must end

denis streeter   1/30/19

tadpole shaming

it was a ravenous day for no reason at all
it was raining tadpoles
no one knew what to do
you can't let them in sunlight
they will eat you
all the sewer drains were full
there's no light on the matter
better find other drains
the toilets are plugged up
they're like horseflies.  the bigger ones are
they take bigger bites from your bum
there's so many you can dissolve in no time
don't teach cats to drink water from toilets
don't let dogs near your bathroom
they're like swirling piranhas that salmon upstream
I can hear you say "I don't give a shit!"
you're right.  it's better to squat
that was the beginning of the marine difficulties
bring out the coast guard.  declare a national emergency
shut down the government. 
it's only safe at night
they give up the light
but come morning
the tadpoles are coming!
the tadpoles are coming!


denis streeter    1/26/19

needs trimming or shear delight

class was beyond repair

screws missing didn't know better

shears were out lambs were in

it didn't matter who did the cutting

must be some editor out to clip my wings

it's not sheer delight

it's shear disaster

the wags nag their tales
frowning disappointing pun

i know they laugh

i feel it bubble beneath the surface

now they're bored and want a change

how those wags wiggle

latex notwithstanding

without uniform or sense of mind

kilter gone off stream

reading bats for buggered boodles 

made up birds for buggled bikes

it doesn't tone the laughing

reading on the fritz 

it always leaves them gasping

like tadpole bait in a fishpond

but completely different

with a napsack paddywack give a dog a bone

but unique, without plagiarism

plagiarism

sometimes you don't even know when you do it

or even why

it takes the fun out of everything

like political correctness

class beyond repair

how can you keep track

just take life in lear

never know where allusions go

pest control and liverware

wonder the connection

it's always a wildcat affair

you never know where

the peaceables give up at dawn

should they go on?

checking the awnings 

they always make the first bet

check the peaches

they always talk about food

check the lambs, but not too long

they're always getting sheared 

it's no shear delight for them

it's no sheer delight for you

who does the cutting

denis streeter   1/24/19