Anthony George
deliberate poem
as gentle as our tongue moves
when we whisper
small waves softly pop on the sandit’s too cold to swim
unless you do it in a wetsuit and some do
people still ride the lake with their canoes and kayaks
they are mysteries to the birds flying overheadwhen the lake freezes over
people from new jersey and people from this side
will cut holes in the ice
sit in their chairs and drop lines
some of them spend alot of time away from home
they bring tents before the sun rises
and they leave with the last bits of duski’m standing between the mountains
that make a bowl
where the lake rolls shore to shorenew jersey is on the other side
flea markets thrift stores black bears
you can’t pump your own gas there
the stations have attendants
the mental hospitals have attendants
we got flea markets on this side
thrift stores and black bears
and mental hospitals with attendants
but we can pump our own gas
Anthony George co-edits Arbella magazine. He’s been writing poetry and making collages for a number of years. His work has appeared in various magazines including Lurch, Big Hammer, and Nerve Cowboy.