January 21st to February 4th, 1982 The Other Press page 7

 

    
  

 

 

Poetry by Micheal Skorulski

} The Not So Bad Samaritan

 

 

 

Unknown wino,
the

Unknown wino,
the icy wind
slaps your face,

bumped, bruised, battered
: and beaten
i and punches your nose

~.._that orgy of red,

wriggling worms.
; ‘“T’ll be honest,’’ you said.
‘I need two dollars for
' a bottle of wine.”’
I ‘Well don

tWell don’t give me that line. I know you’d

only spend it on coffee.
‘*So take this coat. It’s
worth two bucks.”’

You got the cash
then bought the wine.
But your kind of offer Dray

¢

 

of a snort I had to decline. aan Ptr
{ took the coat =
and left you standing
in the cold, teeth
clacking like maracas ex
gone crazy.

the wine would keep you warm. Drawing by Kathy Norrish
Review Editor Jody Gilbert §don’t know how long it will take to find me, but ,

  

I’m going to find the time, unless the fellow with
the sickle and long beard comes along. Chop,
chop. You can’t back away from that old boy. |

 

é Thailand
! inraanene, “a ud a machete
' everyone smiles because
Teint. and Tox Are thailand means ‘‘Land of Smiles.’’ ue 5 iret
They smile to cut through the heat
‘5 ich holds them u
as a jilted fawn-eyed temptress which P
ie - a ae ee steals into her faithless like warm butter
a mice oi ie erhene bok lover’s bedroom and lovingly after a long, tiring day.
lous like. & oo — cuts off his member as They smile
ee eee mosquito-devouring ghekkos asajesterholding __
P ‘ hover overhead on window panes a King Cobra by the tail
dad a Sliedved Mwecudoner like solemn Buddas. Their sells them snake oil
ace Sin Mlail cackéctinck strike like the female is they know won’t cure anything.
falls to a sizzling death sirift, snem 4nd weadhy They smile
onto the open door but they are just as beautiful. as the military junta
‘i They smile : tells their king it’s time
when I check the lasagna. pea ae
as they sell their wives, to move to his summer palace.
{ am a melancholy undertaker sons and daughters to hey smile
as I contemplate the corpses pa pgnaeny tgaper es who as they strain away
of dead flies jammed into Se Oe et at pedicab pedals _

devour for the price of a
tip back home.
They smile

window screens. down back alleys with

foreigners looking for sex.

 

 

My favourite though is “ys They smile

the light-hearted pagan who recalls the dog as ee), yee aot sumcen because everyone else is smiling.

that licked your face as “ee eo < —< They smile

s " mace late: paapeat Lod Gua sidiey, because they admire great joy.

e had good taste. they smile They smile
‘ as their women give up seats because they like to smile. —

on buses Se Rete ERUCO> They only frown in private.
yellow-robed priests who

Weather Report untempted by the proximity
of the female can hide

{don’t think : their erections under a

Cll go out mask of solemnity. J L

for at least two years. attri gcackan Reader Alex ones

Streets are too slippery as a bull elephant frolics

and dangerous due in the fields until death

: a nekiie iekes after 25 years of filling

Bt : in for a bulldozer. e