Steel Brass Plastic Agenda, Never the Last Word
(2 poems)


Steel Brass Plastic Agenda

There was an argument
In Kansas City
And evidently
Lots of guns
At the scene
So who wants to be powerful
Who wants to be famous
First
Who is more superior
By bullets

An argument
Is not enough
Except perhaps
For pretense
I am ready
I have the final volume
With my gun
Keep talking
Keep rising
I’ll have you
With the last word
My own
Explosion
To settle everything

Then come and get me
You should
Know me now


Never the Last Word

This is no last word
But taking a breath
To breathe
Without the news
And all things
That press on me
On us

I can’t do this without you
And don’t want
To

But let’s all take time
To breathe
And we can drink
And talk
Besides

We could sit
At table
In that made-up
Lakeside café
I keep making up
Adding details
For our ease
And for reflection
On reflection
Of the water

And we could leave
Better than before

Join me
In breathing
If you will
In sipping
Also nibbling something
For small pleasure
Great pleasure
In the interacting

Relief in
Trying to be ourselves
A little more
Each time
We meet

You send me something
And I send you things
While the café waits
And other good
Imagined things
In between
The substance of ourselves
And what we choose
In greater and more open
Health
(let’s try)
To share


C L Couch


Photo by Fern M. Lomibao on Unsplash