Pirate Night at The Space Pub

by Nicole Taylor

Friends call him
Awesome Austin,
and his Hair poem
and about his brain as a toy prize
and it was an awesome tale.

Tip or Die reads the jar on the bar.
Brutal Brutus stickers on the
cannon ball Moe is turning.

Bondage in my Brain reads
another poet, another freeing soul,
not a stealer of words, stories.

You can say fuck you, and it may not mean anything.
Angst not anger to a person.
Why do we get so offended by these words
or the middle finger?

Ashley reads a great tale, poem,
Wanting, and I am.

Instigate the ones I hate,
reads young Nick.

Candace reads, Dead men tell no tales.
in her pale dress reminding me
of the illustrated man, the heavily tattooed man.

Her guy Moe reads, sings
Fertile Floozy, Sea Hag Wench.

Row, row your boat, matey,
reads Rich
with his pirate arr style.

Time to leave soon but the stickers near me read
Never Sleep. Almost Friday. (But it's Monday.)
Breaking Death. Gladiators Eat Fire. (No
Gladiators or Fireeaters Here.) Dumb Free
Liberty For All and No Moral Chords.

Ruminations

by Nicole Taylor

branches
limbs of rivers

folding Rubik’s Snakes of
metal lots,
parking lots

quiet farming or
residential lots

passing, passing
mighty, mighty Lake Michigan

towers of
metal triumph

Ordinances

by Nicole Taylor

This place,
this space
is fighting against
noise ordinances
and a $301 fine,
every fine night.
This place opened near
Oregon's birthday two years ago
with bands and comedians
travelling near and far.
This night a local band,
Outback Purge, opened
open-mic night.
We heard Working Class Hero
for these working class,
and some looking for work.
David reads a poem to
be noticed
Look me over, said the stone.
Nick reads Buddy Wakefield poems
of work and life
from young Nick's great memory.
Austin sings Fresh Water Pirates.
Moe breaks from bartending to his bass
and his songs of angst
Avert your gaze,
AVERT YOUR GAZE
yells an officer's voice in
I've got the greatest grades.
He sings An Ode to Horace
of one possible early
young Jesus story
of his rites, ordinances,
for the once mellow crowd
as these are not mellow songs.
Hannah and others watch
a cop car in waiting.
Then Hannah and others
return inside and read
texts and seem so insular.
Wes seems annoyed at
our bartender and wanders
out and in and out.
Soon Moe closes bar
a little early
I bike and chat
with Dave
arriving home
later than usual.