Oscar Wilde
Patrick Erickson

Salamanders in dark brown overcoats
and lime green ties
Who would dress like that?

I would and so would Oscar Wilde
walking on the wild side

In the light of day
under the cover of a rock
salamanders don't get far
and neither do I

Earthworms get further
turning the earth as the earth turns
turning us out in dark brown overcoats
of overturned earth

the lily of the valley
our yellow gold stickpin
our baroque pearl tie tack
our lime green tie

Our walk on the wild side wilting
Who would dress like that?

Salamanders would
I would
And so would Oscar Wilde.

Bananas
Patrick Erickson

Bananas
That's the color of my pajamas
my room, my roommate
the color and consistency of bananas
bland bananas

The consistency of inconsistency
skin, skin color, skin texture, skin tone
bananas
banana skins, banana peels, banana splits
banana shakes, banana floats
and the pulp beneath                                                              
smooth as banana cream filling
banana cake with banana icing
banana pie, banana pudding 

and the nurses wall to wall
taut as unripe bananas
and a few ripe ones bursting their skins
unpeeled, the color, the texture
and the consistency of bananas
the essence of bland bananas
the consistency of inconsistency

This banana plantation, this banana republic
the patients shaking the banana tree
inpatients and outpatients
the ins and outs of banana cultivation
the patience required to harvest the crop

monkeys in their monkey suits
and the top banana
going bananas.

Mutual Friends
Patrick Erickson

A friend of a friend
a roundabout introduction
The long way around
and the wrong way to get there

A bridge too far to bridge the gulf
engulfs it

A contact that does not connect
disconnects

A lead that is not a lead in is a gap
a friend of a friend stands in
misled

It's not what you know
nor even who you know
but how close you are when the bombs drop
when no one needs introducing

when the circuits short circuit
and light up the alert
and sound the alarm

Then every friend is a friend of a friend
and we're all engulfed

Every bridge is a bridge too far

The long way around
and no way to get there.