UNDERGROUND VOICES MAGAZINE/JUSTIN HYDE


	UNDERGROUND VOICES: POETRY

JUSTIN HYDE

having felt like a rusty iron pole hammered deep into the earth

the old waitress
with a tattoo of a lemon tree
on her forearm
brought me
a slice of pumpkin pie.
on the house, she said
and told me
she'd heard from one of the other waitresses
that i just got a divorce.
been married twice
i know it's hard
if you ever want to talk
you got an ear in me,
she said
and put her hand
on my shoulder
before wobbling off.

i've never been able
to ask for help

especially
when i've
needed it

but sometimes
when we
need it most

small flowers
bloom
in
unlikely places.

four dollar gas

untenable food prices.

a falling dollar.

having a long line of
cockroaches
in my blood

i don't get worked up
about any of it.

men in my family
adapt to the
creases

whiskey
in the shadows

dry eyes

hearts in our throats

a cheap
quiet
funeral.

Justin Hyde lives in Iowa where he works with criminals. He has a web-page here: http://www.nyqpoets.net/poet/justinhyde