Mermaid Sallies

1.

"God bells to you, Al."
He had barely said it
when The Wonder! occurred.

So much sympathy and anger in Saint
Louis. And a tone of mind
control in every comedy.

At least it’s over for the night.
A pin prick during the act.
Is it over for the night?

2.

he made his living collecting the huge
the first was a monolith butterfly
rarer than a tree
larger than a stack of Pontiac retirees

second was a train constructed by ants
of the main roads none are open
for the tales to be true a hat is required
they tell of him and the roundness of his arms.

3.

He remembered, too, how sweltering
it had been in the bedroom during
the secret.
Had smelled the weakness and her
support and the very specific threat
that made him come
for supper. Be eyeful, she lip-synced.
Laid on the wedding-clothes, waiting.
He jotted something
in a pocket dictionary. Pushed back
his feet from the stone enclosure.
The lights cancelled.

4.

"And so you know pain now, my fridge?"

Her face was stapled
and filed to a whisker.