BIRD WATCHING AT BURGER KING
by Doug Draime

He looked at me and I
looked at him. He knew
that I knew the score, as his
wild- haired, bovine wife wiped down
a table at Burger King,
yelling at 2 small children
and barking at him,
I'm going to the crapper,
watch the kids,
our number is 23!
I turned away, but I could
feel his eyes on me, as I watched
a beautiful blue bird
outside eating a
crumb of a hamburger bun,
with perfect
dignity.

FLOWERS IN CUENCA
by Thomas Feeny

In the Generalisimo's jails
back in the forties
life was frowned upon.
What flower, what weed would
grow in that fetid Spanish light?
Except when, following interrogation
some tiny thing, a rosebud
–mother's pink treasure once
bathed with shyest touch–
would give forth bloody bloom
there, where pale thighs lay
spread on puddled clay.

SOON THE REVOLUTION
by Ed Galing

eating in this jewish
deli
i meet up with
max, my friend,
who is now past
ninety,
small man with
glasses, and
a small beard,
who has been saying
for years, ever since
i have known him,
SOON THE REVOLUTION
COMES...
he said it during ww2,
during the russian
cold war, also at
mccarthy hearings, where
everyone was a communist,
SOON THE REVOLUTION,
he kept saying,
even after the bay of
pigs, even after vietnam,
every time i meet him in
the deli, the same thing
again,
now we are eating our
corned beef, and i say
to max, well when is
the revolution coming?
max puts his fingers to
his lips, looks around like
its a big govt secret,
and whispers,
SOON COMES THE REVOLUTION,
when is it coming max,
i ask him, when will it
come?
max shakes his head,
its coming he speaks again,
i guarantee it is coming...
now shut up and eat...
i smile
max knows everything
i can wait for the day