April 2020
Bio Note: I write poetry because it helps me make sense of the world around and inside me. It piques
my interest in the past and prods me to think more about the present and the future. I find the act of writing poetry
joyful and self-reinforcing, even when the content of my poems is about sad or traumatic events.
Procrastination Blues
Showing up punctually is
not a possibility when what
should’ve been done the
day before is being done
right before we head out to
fill in the blank, we’re on the
road, making calls, the cat
threw up, the traffic’s bad,
climate change is not a hoax
but if it was we’d still be late
for parties, the theater, the
flight we missed to Florida,
the cab was there, the roads were
clear, four hours prep was not
enough to board the plane to
Delray Beach, Flamingo Punch,
a poolside lunch, sitting in an
airport lounge, where’s your
cellphone, dresser drawer,
fully charged, mine’s there too,
let’s go home, have a beer,
tomorrow get our ass in gear.
Making Contact
She says she can’t get a word in
edgewise, which may be true, but
if she’s calling the balls and strikes
how can she concurrently be up at
the plate waiting for a curveball she
believes I’m going to throw her
when I haven’t decided what pitch
to fling to the catcher sitting in
my skull, who’s motioning for a
fast ball, which may not be the
best idea, as she may be looking
for a heater she can hit out of the
ballpark and into the parking lot
where we’re sitting in a car and
I’m pondering whether I should
lob a change of pace and ask her
to forgive me for being such a
lousy listener.
©2020 Martin H. Levinson
Editor's Note: If this poem(s) moves you please consider writing to the
author (email address above) to tell her or him. You might say what it is about the poem that moves you. Writing to the author is what builds the community at Verse Virtual.
It is very important. -JL