2 poems by 2 poets

illustrations by palomine studios

who by chuck leary who did this to you? were they faithful and true? when they came up the stairs were they saying their prayers? when they took out their revolvers and said, this doesn’t involve us they were just doing their job because the boss is a slob they left you for dead with a note beside your bed that they were afraid the debt had not been paid they would be back for more until the final score was the boss everything, you zero don’t try to be a hero life is a big mouth which chews up north and spits out south everything in its path if you just do the math if every wrong was righted and every shore was sighted and every ship that sailed away came back the next day if nobody won, and nobody lost and no one was ever double crossed and there was no reason to be afraid who would cheer at the parade? who would stand at an empty grave with no handkerchief to wave no preacher to say a few words and no raindrops, and no birds?

remember by jack dale coody i remember when clowns were funny when a dollar a day was pretty good money when the policeman was your friend and the good times would never end i remember when singers sang real songs and everybody just got along and kids were respectful, but full of fun and a fellow found a gal who was the only one i remember when half the world was broke but a five cent cigar was a good smoke and a man could treat himself to a drink and never worry what the neighbors might think i remember when a ride on the merry-go-round was the best entertainment that could be found and a rousing speech on the fourth of july could make a grown man cry i remember when men went off to war and knew what they were fighting for when communism was the bunk and you were either a patriot or a skunk i don’t know what tomorrow brings but i remember many things things long forgotten, and long gone things that are now frowned upon stranger, i see you growing faint listening to my weary plaint i see your eyeballs beginning to drift i’m headed for the graveyard - can you give me a lift?