Ted Jonathan

last words of advice to my unborn son

if your mom says
your old man’s
a soft douchebag
with no hustle
stay mum

99% of everything
is a sales pitch
the remaining 1%
is non-existent

rue the day hava good day
turned into hava great day

learn something
about anything
fake the rest
everybody else does

if you start a rock band
consider calling it: 
the slip mahoney arkestra

create a film noir:
10, 000 keys to nowhere

appreciate
language poetry that’s
more compelling than
ornate wallpaper

know: the king of kings
who rode into jerusalem
on the back of a donkey
had a hooknose

make good memories
you’re gonna need them
when you get old

if god does not grant you
the serenity to accept the things
you cannot change--I say
it’s okay to escape the things
you cannot change

if you think
your old man’s
a soft douchebag
with no hustle
think again
harder

keep your backbone
straight & take care
of yourself

appeared in Nerve Cowboy

Ted Jonathan is a poet and short story writer. Born and raised in the Bronx, he currently lives in New Jersey. His work has appeared in many journals, and he’s real pleased to make another appearance in Misfit Magazine. His collection of poems and short stories Bones & Jokes was published by NYQ Books (2009). His poetry collection Run was published by NYQ Books (2016).