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Wolfgang Carstens: Three Poems

By Wolfgang Carstens on June 13, 2018 in Poetry

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“i don’t write love poems,”

i said,

“and i’ve never been
much of an Anglerfish.”

“what does that even mean?”
my wife asked.

“well,”
i said,

“when Anglerfish mate,
they melt into each other.

the female absorbs her man,
until his eyes, mouth,
and fins disappear—

and they share
the same bloodstream.”

“i like that,”
my wife says.

“well then,”
i say,

“come here Mama,

and let me
hold you

tighter.”

*

“if not a mess,”

my wife groaned,

as she picked up the empty Tequila bottles
the empty beer cans
and
the half-smoked joint,

“then
what do you call it?”

“we have been married
twenty-five years,”

i said,
lighting the joint,

“and that,
my Dear,

is what
i call

a survival
kit.”

*

strange

it’s not
the big moments
in life
that terrify us,

but rather
the small,
ordinary ones.

i can stand
in front of 300 people
and read poetry,

yet,
my knees shake

when
i lean in close

and
kiss you

goodnight.

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TagspoemspoetryWolfgang Carstens

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About the author

Wolfgang Carstens

Website

Wolfgang Carstens is the author of numerous books of poetry, publisher at Epic Rites Press, and organizer and host of Poets Underground, a poetry show that celebrates and showcases the best and brightest authors currently working the marrow of contemporary poetry. Wolfgang lives in Canada with his wife, five kids, grandson, dog, mortgage and death. His poetry is printed on the backs of unpaid bills. 

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