Family Picture, 1964
by jim benz
My father,
sunk into a deep
black chair,
has his legs crossed
exposing a white
hairless calf above his sock.
A magazine
lies open in his lap
and his eyes
have the blank stare
of a man displeased
with cameras.
On the arm …

a cup of coffee
by jim benz
arrhythmia
could it be another morning?
ungodly
perhaps I’m dead
oh for the climate of dreams
found lacking, found
casting aspersion
on daybreak
full of songbirds
full of meaningless
ennui or conflict, snarling
eggs be damned, give me coffee

Ode to John Cage
by Jim Benz

very much silence
very much silence
very much silence
very much s
still more silence
still more silence
still more silence
still more s
not a whistle
nor a squeal
not a shout
nor a cry
only s
(what is
this sound that lingers
in …

anti-ku
by Jim Benz
all this time
sitting on benches
watching buses
***
this street
the other street
they all look the same
***
down on the ground
too many drinks
not enough pity
***
coughing up blood
a glimpse of skinny junkies
out my window
***
no more time
the landlord pounding
on your …

when the poet read Bukowski by the fallen bridge
by Jim Benz
1.
Performers of the open mic
In Minnesota
Sit on chairs
And stools in the crowded room
Of their coming
Moment, which they cannot fathom
In the cramped and jittery
Wisecracks
Of a coffeehouse, …

The Cruel Fates
By Jim Benz
A man walks into an uptown wine bar,
looks around for a place to sit
but sees only a single chair available
amidst three women at a small table
in the middle of the room.
He’s …

To Do List
By Jim Benz
1. Roll a joint
2. Sit around for awhile, smoking
3. Think about jazz classics
4. Silently contemplate “A Love Supreme”
5. Try to remember the bass line
6. Slap …

Buddha
by jim benz
Ben stood by the creek, skipping stones.
Under his feet, the ground was wet and muddy.
Despite a cool breeze, Ben wore no jacket.
Donna, his mother, always complained about this.
Haven’t you got any sense? she’d …

New Years Morning, 2006
by jim benz
On New Years Morning, I woke up and found:
Maria Shriver passed out naked in the corner of my bedroom,
Yuri Andropov rummaging around in my underwear drawer,
Flannery O’Connor on her knees …