Stuart Barnes


Eating phở alone


Red chopsticks sink
pink strips of beef
to the deepest
part of the old white dish.

Pink strips of beef
     disintegrate—
part of the old white dish
regards the street

     disintegrate!
turns to the feet,
regards the street,
basil     lemon     chili

turns to the feet,
to the deepest
basil     lemon     chili—
red chopsticks sink



Never fall in love


with a closeted man:
Terror’s top dog
     In this rocky hometown
he’ll lower your hand at red octagons

(Terror’s top dog)
he’ll lever your arm on open road
he’ll lower your hand at red octagons
(it’ll growl it’ll growl like a dingo)

he’ll lever your arm on open road
     Never confuse your pillow
(it’ll growl it’ll growl like a dingo)
with his moonstone torso

     Never confuse your pillow
with a closeted man
with his moonstone torso
     in this rocky hometown




Stuart Barnes is poetry editor of Tincture Journal, poetry editor of Verity La and poetry/flash reader for One Throne Magazine. In 2014 he co-judged the ACT Publishing Awards' poetry category and his manuscript Blacking Out and other poems was named Runner-up for the Thomas Shapcott Poetry Prize. Twitter: @StuartABarnes Tumblr: http://stuartabarnes.tumblr.com/
 
 
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