a troped poem in terza rima by satnrose

Times Square, February 1943, John Vachon, Office of War Information

A Year of Laughing Dangerously

obtained by those inherit meek the earth
inhaled the laughing gas a single step
dissolved into a puddle full of mirth

the visible dropped into what was kept
my mother’s hat excessively unknown
my country tis of thee all locked in step

so knick and knack and paddy whack a bone
just give the dog the thing he needs the most
someday the kid will be out on his own

I wrestled to the ground my favorite ghost
the break of sunlight made him disappear
I went back in the house and made some toast

I thought at last for once I’d made it clear
but didn’t know the words would take a year
–

satnrose is a well-known antiquarian bookseller, and formerly a not-so-secret messenger in the innermost depths of Capitol Hill and K Street. He has been published in a number of literary magazines, but since his reincarnation as ‘satnrose’ last year, he has been published in EVERGREEN REVIEW, ICONOCLAST, DANSE MACABRE, COUNTEREXAMPLE POETICS, wtf.pwm, OYSTERS & CHOCOLATE, APPARATUS, GLOOM CUPBOARD, ESCAPE INTO LIFE, MAD SWIRL, METAZEN, THE NOVEMBER 3RD CLUB, STRAY BRANCH, THE CITRON REVIEW, THE COPPERFIELD REVIEW, THE HELL GATE REVIEW, THE BLUE JEW YORKER, MASTODON DENTIST, FULL OF CROW, ROSE & THORN JOURNAL, THE MAYNARD, NEFARIOUS BALLERINA, COUNTERPUNCH, deadpaper, theviewfromhere, MAVERICK, CALLIOPE NERVE, THE BATTERED SUITCASE, etc., etc.”