It’s Mozart in the car, Bob Dylan at
the gym. Strong coffee in the morning, bitter
beer at night. My meds, I like to say,
but I am just a dilettante of grief.
White sunshine through the blinds, a black dog at
my feet. And you here with me, reading this.
The whole thing’s comic. We’re just passing through.
It all comes down to attitude, or stance.
I pet the dog, his silken head. He shakes
his floppy ears and hops up on all fours.
I take a bite of cheeseburger, give him
a piece. You say that I’m his dad. I feel
a smile that stretches past my manufactured
angst. I think I’ll stay here for a while.
Thomas Zimmerman (he/him) teaches English, directs the Writing Center, and edits The Big Windows Review https://thebigwindowsreview.com/ at Washtenaw Community College, in Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA. His poems have appeared recently in horror senryu journal; iamb: poetry seen and heard; and Red Wolf Editions. His latest book is Dead Man's Quintet (Cyberwit, 2023)
Website: https:/thomaszimmerman.wordpress.com
Instagram: tzman2012
Facebook: Tom.Zimmerman.315
Twitter (X): @bwr_tom
Comments