Friday, March 8, 2024

Three Poems By J.J Campbell

Like Teaching an Infant Algebra

another night where the first 

jack and coke quickly becomes 

your fourth

 

where the overs aren’t hitting

and the unders aren’t either

 

explaining a parlay to your date

is like teaching an infant algebra

 

your patience runs as thin

as her tolerance for alcohol

 

eventually, you’re smart enough 

to change the subject completely

 

compliment her looks

 

crack a joke, make her smile

 

fuck, i needed that three 

to go down

 

any chance of this night going 

well will only happen if we get 

the fuck out of here

 

check please

 

no, i’ll take care of the tip

 

just wait until your sexy ass

gets in the car

 

 

Natural Causes

 

you ever wonder about death

 

about what will be said when 

you are found prone, lifeless

 

who knows where the gun 

will be

 

or is it just me

 

natural causes doesn’t have 

that sexy ring to it like suicide 

or dancing with a train

 

of course, there is the asshole 

on my other shoulder

 

the one more geared toward 

logic, practical thought

 

he tends to believe my death 

will be mundane

 

in bed

 

probably with a belt around 

my neck trying to reach climax

 

it is always those straightlaced 

fuckers that have the most 

perverse thoughts resting 

under that comfortable 

sweater

 

the brain i use most often 

never thinks about death

 

he would simply like it if something

other than my hand would slide 

down there from time to time

 

A Night of Doing Strange Drugs

 

she had the taste of dr. pepper 

with a hint of a clove cigarette

 

i was in one of my underground 

music phases

 

she, for some reason, thought 

i was cool

 

i would prove her wrong 

soon enough

 

but this was a night of doing 

strange drugs

 

making out on a shitty couch

 

taking her home and her laughing 

when i asked if i could come in

 

i thought maybe she was flirting

 

apparently, sleep was more 

important

 

but still wired, i drove the night

looking for a hooker to break 

me in two

 

no luck

 

a drawback of the small cities 

of the midwest

 

she forgot i slipped her panties 

off while on the couch

 

they helped me make it through 

the night

 

Bio: J.J. Campbell (1976 - ?) was raised by wolves yet managed to graduate high school with honors. He's been widely published over the years, most recently at The Beatnik Cowboy, Synchronized Chaos, The Rye Whiskey Review, Horror Sleaze Trash and Misfit Magazine. You can find him most days on his mildly entertaining blog, evil delights.https://evildelights.blogspot.com

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