“Game [ON]” by Henry Crawford

[w]ham-o Sam-o [Suitors Up!] [yellow]
[look out!] [look out!] rainbows of
[arrows] candies of crushes [beads]
and bangles [open the vessels] hit it now
[hit it] rack up the [hearts]
wipe out the doubts [do it] now [do it]
run the table [BANG!] you’re in love
[BANG!] you’re alone [how do you feel?]
[stranded?] [abandoned?] you’re on the
next [level] you’re a car

in [kilometers now] going
[20] [40] [60] [80] [look out!] [look out!]
here comes the BOSS [cigar chewing cupid]
cover the spread [hide your fire] say
[“yes’] [“yes”] [“yes”] only the best
[now is the time] to blow him away
[clean out the cube] wipe out the skies
[20] [40] [60] [80] [look out!] [look out!]
[speed shooting] zits [FIRE!] [FIRE!]
now push those cows over the cliff
[how do you feel?] [stranded?]
[abandoned?] [here’s your ride]
you’re a flying U

[you] did it [you] caused it [was you]
[we know it] [we saw it] was you
[on the phone] talking in twos
[thinking in threes] wearing a mask?
[nothing inside] [look out!] [look out!]
pull it now [get it] and get it again
[how do you feel] [groggy?] [blind?]
[thirsty?] [wasted?] [woozy?] [hateful?]
[hurtful?] [hammered?] [toothless?]
[jealous?] [pious?] [reflective?]
[thoughtful?] [kindly?] [born again?]
[bigot?] [a serf?] [a self?] [look out!]
[look out!] you’re dying in doubles
[ashes] [ashes] going into overtime
[HONK] if you believe [NOD] if you agree
[WINK] if you have I’s

 


Henry Crawford is a poet whose work has appeared in several journals and online publications including Boulevard, Copper Nickel, Folio, Borderline Press and The Offbeat. He was a 2016 Pushcart nominee. His first collection of poetry, American Software, was published in 2017 by CW Books. His poem Blackout was just selected by the Southern Humanities Review as a finalist in the 2018 Jake Adam York Witness Poetry Contest. His website is HenryCrawfordPoetry.com

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