a bernese mountain dog collects dust
in the livingroom
as fox news hammers home
the integrity of relics

the sun is just one of a thousand knick knacks
that gets drowned out by the pulse of your love
frozen hamburgers and a bunn coffee maker
hum moonlight melodies
in the middle of the afternoon

a marriage that can no longer walk
on water
gets frozen in time

feeding miracles the size of minnows
to the alligators you once wrestled
but now call lovers

there are no small ponds
just forgotten rivers of intention

just stolen kisses
captured in the night

great love stories
are the things we don’t notice
hidden in a cluttered barn

the little things
we keep
to ourselves.

John Dorsey lived for many years in Toledo, Ohio. He is the author of several collections of poetry, including Teaching the Dead to Sing: The Outlaw's Prayer (Rose of Sharon Press, 2006), Sodomy is a City in New Jersey (American Mettle Books, 2010), Appalachian Frankenstein (GTK Press, 2015) and Being the Fire (Tangerine Press, 2016). He is the current Poet Laureate of Belle, MO. He may be reached at archerevans@yahoo.com.