Small Towns, Big Mouths, is a mico-poetry collection featuring six poems previously published in the following magazines: PigeonBike, Every Reason & Mad Rush Quarterly.  This collection was first published in its entirety in October 2014 on the Australian literary website Bold Monkey, edited by George Anderson.

Sherry Said

i’m

heading out

to hancock fabrics

 

be back

in ten

 

what do

you need

from there?

steve asked

 

fabric steve

what the

hell else

would i get?

 

you know

what i meant

steve said

 

you’re right

sorry

sherry replied

 

i’m knitting

scarves

for the twins

 

well i might

not be home

when you 

get back

steve told her

 

i’m heading

to the 

hardware store

 

for what?

sherry asked

 

a new hoe

& thrusting screw.

 

Stan & Barbara

came home

to the

teenage neighbors

shoveling

their driveway

& walk

 

you really should

get some salt

to throw down

on your driveway

the oldest one

advised stan

 

a few

minutes later

 

the boys rang

the doorbell

& lingered

 

hoping

stan might

offer them cash

or a check

 

you really should 

ask about

payment 

before 

being so bold

as to 

expect it

 

stan advised

them in return

 

shutting the door

in their

rosey red

 

faces.

 

Ralph

was an

experienced

skier

 

it was

marla’s

first time

on the slopes

 

every

lift ride up

ralph would

give marla

pointers

 

you need

to move

your hips

& straighten

your 

legs more

he told her

 

just watch me

 

that run

ralph went

speeding down

the hill

& fell in a

grand display

 

his skis

& poles

were thrown

everywhere

 

marla came

to a stop

behind him

& yelled

 

yard sale!

 

Don Hates

the

radio

 

he

always

says

 

good

lord

turn off

that

pansy

 

high

singing

bull

 

you

turn on

a radio

 

you

turn on 

the dodgers

&

that’s it

 

carl

could

give

a shit

 

he’s a

yankees

fan.

 

This Snow

is the

soft kind

daryl remarked

 

what?

shane asked

 

this snow

 

it’s the soft kind

& not the

heavy wet kind

 

so what?

shane said

 

it’s probably

what kept

the airbags

from

deploying

daryl replied

 

daryl 

 

will you just 

shut up

& help me

get the car

out of 

this ditch

 

lord knows

i can’t afford 

another d.u.i

 

& don’t forget

 

when doris

asks what

happened

 

we hit

a deer.

 

Are Those Pigeons?

trixie

asked arnold

as they

waited for

the light

to change

 

huh?

 

i don’t know

arnold replied

 

it’s certainly

hard to tell

trixie said

 

they could

be doves

 

what does

it matter

if they’re pigeons 

or doves?

 

oh it doesn’t

trixie said

 

just making

friendly

conversation

 

friendly conversation?

arnold thought

to himself

for two hundred

up front

it should be

 

do you prefer

missionary

or 

doggie style

big daddy?