By Amy Simone Piller
An overfull bookshelf
once read            gone
unremembered other than
good            bad
recommended   not
mandatory supposed to
in need of guidance on postmodern non-references alluded to
(taunting: what you miss
ruins it).
Twenty-one books by C.P. Snow
your father gave you
to better understand the depression
bound into three volumes
seven books a pop
too heavy to carry around
becoming [...]
By Amy Simone Piller
When your metro card decides to malfunction
squeeze through the turnstile with a stranger.
Carry your bicycle over your shoulder
during rush hour, glare when people touch it.
On a dare, piss between the moving cars,
then discuss while frenching your girlfriend.
Put your feet up on the adjacent seat,
occupy at least two spots with your baggage.
Blast your headphones loud enough [...]
By Amy Simone Piller
How was it when
some teacher stood before
century old ten-year-olds and said,
“We’ve conquered here
we’ve conquered there,â€
and,
“This is how to read a key:
you’ll find the red, is Britain’s land,
100 times our island’s size
our empire expands,
by staked flags and dropkicked souls
fledgling governments disband.â€
Did her voice betray sarcasm,
and did the kids respond, hooray?
Or is it more like today,
my voice [...]
By Amy Simone Piller
Juice cleanse;
Buy goggles;
Swim;
Go to the orthodontist;
for realignment of
one derailing tooth,
due to soothing symmetry undone
induced cowardice
notions of self-confidence gone
in all realms once reigned confident,
exempli gratia:
Is it ok to keep teaching when
pseudo relation number three
and previous competitor number four
got into Harvard Law?
From [...]
By Amy Simone Piller
Broken glass
from a car window
dresses a curbed Christmas tree
the holidays have ended.
“I don’t care
if I never get a job
and live alone with my moms
for the rest of my life
I’m not gonna read
today,â€
stamping his little 6th grade foot.
Guilt tripping it seems
creates a comic scene
but seeing as
scar tissue amasses
when wounds go
untreated
we must take this seriously
sit down and [...]
By Amy Simone Piller
Many kids go unshielded
from many taboos,
becoming unclear
in purpose
on learning,
how to read,
why to care,
what to do.
On reaching the appropriate age
to know enough
to be afraid
of what is revealed
when they speak up,
they go
silent
(minus making a scene,
getting a laugh, being at ease
with being left out
of what seriousness means).
Suddenly they want to read (what a coup)
an article about “Halo Two,”
a [...]
By Amy Simone Piller
A clock taunts me to hurry down the aisle
like a dog burying feces in concrete.
We run on adrenaline for a while,
sleep deprivation masking our defeat.
Like a dog burying feces in concrete
we follow the said systems and structures
Sleep deprivation masking our defeat;
the masquerade of the too-busy monsters.
We follow the said systems and structures,
make a calendar with [...]
By Amy Simone Piller
“When the gods want to punish us, they answer our prayers.â€â€”Oscar Wilde
It’s hard to know
which details to heed;
what to grant more attention
than less.
If unseen,
one thing may lead
to another kid being thrown in the trash[1],
the recess rumor mill afoot,
(the detective inherently too late.
For example,
it is unwise to twist this pen cap
in my mouth—
whose paws it [...]
By Amy Simone Piller
Christian has written a quiz
and begged I copy it for the class,
for us all to take.
The questions start mundane:
Which color is my favorite?
red
black
blue
yellow
And later broach:
How many girls have I dated?
10
90
32
46
When grading, he tells me I got that one wrong
“The answer’s ‘d,’â€
and when I raise an eyebrow he says:
“From Head Start[1] up.â€
It’s followed immediately by:
How many [...]
By Amy Simone Piller
To make a pie from scratchis a labor of lovefaith in what will comeof many minor elementsincluding selfto outdo the glory of berries alone.
I make you piebecause we have the ingredients,(A pantry I’ve never known,oh to taste this is such bliss,I might meltin a happyspoonfulyour mouthwarmsweettangyirreplaceableeach grain of floursnowflakinguniqueness
memsmerizing flavorsmolding, delicious momentsours to [...]