Winter Cleaning

home from the dentist
my tongue
tracing my teeth

——

© Steve Mitchell 2021 

Climbing The Vine

summer moon –
our tongues all purple our
glasses all empty

—-

© Steve Mitchell 2020

Squink

yeah, okay cat, sure
don’t say a word –
you’ve got your own tongue

—-

© Steve Mitchell 2019

You Needn’t Read This

the other day

maybe yesterday

a guy came to the door

and rang the bell

and our dogs barked

all stupid

so I answered the door

he was a young guy

with a tee shirt

and a clipboard

and the cold air

in my house

tried to escape

but the hot air

in the world

pushed in

while the young guy

with a name tag

on his tee shirt

said things

like we’re in the area

and special offer

and help keep teens off drugs

then he licked

his own eye

with a flick

of his tongue

and . . . .wait

it was a dream

yeah, I can tell

it was a dream

Vici the robot

from Small Wonder

was there

only it wasn’t her

and you glazed over

when I said

it wasn’t her

because there’s nothing

more boring than

listening

to dreams

with all the things

that are one thing

but really

another thing

so, yeah, I can tell

it was a dream

except

actually

I just

made

it

all

up

because

words

damnable

words

—-

© Steve Mitchell 2014

Mal Sense

“Hey, Walter.  Why are you making that face?”  William sat opposite Walter and watched Walter make that face.

“Sorry,” Walter sniffed and made the face, “I forget I’m doing it.”

“You look like something smells bad,” said William.

“Yeah.  Well, I don’t know why, but my boogers smell bad.”  Walter sniffed again.

“What?”

“My boogers, they smell really bad.  It’s all I can smell.”

“No.  You can’t smell your own boogers.”

“I can.”

“No one can smell their own boogers.  It’s not possible.”

“It is possible,” Walter sniffed.  “And mine smell bad.  Maybe it’s something I ate.”

“Well that’s just weird.”

Walter shrugged.  “You want the other half of my sandwich?  I’m not hungry on account of my boogers smelling so bad.”

“No,” William shook his head.  “I don’t want to eat until I have to.”

“Why?”

“My tongue tastes bad.”

—-

© Steve Mitchell 2014

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