October 2024
Bio Note: I've been writing poetry for more than 40 years and have been part of the same writing group for 17 years. My two books of collected poems are available from Cold River Press: The Lost Thing and Out of Reach. I was happy to find Verse-Virtual via the Sacramento Poetry Center.
He is a low-rent wolf
trying to be a tiger
sharpening his teeth
on the edges of words
ahh, here is the bite
that lets my shadows out
pale as the moon
freezing
almost performance art
I might howl
I want to be Red Riding Hood, he said.
So I helped him into the too-short cape,
rubbed Hollywood Red on his thin lips,
and admired his size 13 heeled ankle boots.
Now come show me what’s in your basket,
I said. Closer, I said.
I looked at him with my big brown eyes,
smiled at him with my big white teeth –
and then I ate him up.
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