3 poems by Daniel Nester

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Out to the moon which is not there

she is fixed on the wrist
the window the tremulous astro
dead father’s inside fiction
stoner sun in my hand—
among the clearness stood up the cloth
the bearing—up to my friend—
a lunatic choice, the bark
diligent barroom—As we’re talking
let’s get personal with the horse’s mouths
cute, kinda little—Today, the ball
went there, a decent pass—and that’s
exactly the problem

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***

Right Joke, Wrong Bar

My secret penis joke begins
with a story about my tree fort
and test tube collection, followed
by the one about my dead dog and
a poodle named Numb Chuck, both
as dangerous as a pair wielded,
but when detoothed they’re as smooth
as grapes with a penis running
secretly through then some more grapes

***




***

Modified From Original Version

Kenneth Burke looks like
Kane’s buddy in old guy
make-up. Both try to
manhandle stories with
mustached grins. Both
essentially pillowfluff
brilliant men around
them. An alarm will sound
any day now, I say
under my shooting. Who
says what will be
decided at that
juncture. Anxious
I am, anxious inside time.