3 poems

by chuck leary

illustrations by palomine studios

i rented a room the air was smoky the banana was yellow the clown was sad the doll was mellow the elephant smiled the flower grew the grass was green and heaven was blue i rented a room on the 17th floor the angels were winning but the demons kept score i looked at the wall and the wall looked back i heard old number 9 coming down the track the impetus waned as the joker relaxed the king fell asleep the lady paid tax the waiter approached with a bill on a tray the king woke up and said please go away i saw it myself as i sat by the door because lions prowl and oceans roar the market flourished noodles expanded the octopus drifted the piano glad-handed the queen wore a hat the refrigerator hummed the snake said good night and called the tarantula scum upstairs in the moonlight a violin screamed the walrus ate peanuts at the nexus of dreams the maid swept up the peanut shells on the floor sixteen orangutans banged on the door an impolite yawn zero balance is spent all of you villains are behind in your rent i texted my mom and my mom texted me you’re my own flesh and blood but this is not poetry

i rented a room - the director's cut air banana clown doll elephant flower grass heaven impetus joker king lady in waiting market nourishment octopus piano queen refrigerator snake tarantula upstairs violin walrus exhibition yawn zero all of you behind in your rent

room i walked in to the room and she said what are you doing here ? and i sat down in the old armchair that had be- longed to her grandfather and where her ex-husband liked to watch reruns of matlock