Don Brandis
The Monkey on My Shoulder
the monkey on my shoulder has a glib routine
he used to do standup in seedy bars
sometimes he's a parrot
a shameless mimic with no mercy
mercy is extra, he says if asked
there's space available on my other shoulder
I'm interviewing candidates next week
a number have applied but few sound serious
a snake in Fresno says she does a pretty coil
a blue-grey sloth says she's almost shoulder trained
an imaginary hippo from Detroit says
she used to be an alligator but is sick of swamps
I'm holding out for an angel but who isn't
my shrink says Lacan does good shoulder
if you understand him even a little, but Nietzsche is over-rated
meanwhile I'm finding the shiny vacancy stimulating
Bio
I live in a small town in Washington state, have been writing poems for years, had some published earlier this year at The Camel Saloon, now closed and much missed.