BON

by Joseph Webster

Ball of nails.
Flip.
Heads or tails.

Ball of nails.
Play catch.
Catch with hides.

Ball of nails.
Never was, never fail.
Serpent. Demon. Ezra tail.

Ball of nails.
Trail of pain.
Not so. Brisk. Away.

Ball of nails.
Time ails.
Search. Dry. Shade.

Ball of nails.
Stretch to dusk.
Cramped torn sails.

Nail of bags.
City of hags.
Stop. Pray. Flail.

Nail of bags.
Concentrate. Prevail.
No, betrayed.

Nail of bags.
Hear the news.
Too much. Today.

Nail of bags.
Stop the train.
Overcoat. Hail.

Nail of bags.
Discover. Pale.
Drink. Rail.

Nail of bags.
Back. Stop. Say.
Not yesterday. Today.

One Night in Boston, Only

by Joseph Webster

drunk, i suppose
at some party i didn’t want to be at
(take THAT Masked Grammarian!
take it to the bank, take it to the limit,
don’t limit yourself, dive in, be fair, expect
the unexpectable, the soup is cold
the war is not yet over and
my ankles scratch)
at some party you took me to in your wisdom
(in your defense in your mind i was
becoming different morphosizing
resizing siding beside myself stands a third
but when we count
they are legion)
and at said party there was a sound
(there was an ant there was a motion we moved
to end the Union we sat in protest we smiled
at roadblocks and took up karate)
and that sound said: wow
bow down jump up you’ll twist in the air
with your ancient lover fresh as silk
guided missile missals in the pews i thought
we abolished that religion a long long time ago
(once upon a time through the ages through the keyhole
god love that camel)
the smiles back to reign on my face
i love the rain on my parade
take my hand we’ll smile in the darkness
One Thousand Bostonian Nights Upward, Onward, Release