January 4, 2016

Three Poems By Ricky Garni: "I Can Feel The Wind On My Face", "Alligator V. Cat: 1-4", "In Retrospect"

Ricky Garni is a writer and machinist born in Florida and living in North Carolina. His most recent publications can be found in BOAAT, BITCHIN’ KITSCH, YELLOW CHAIR REVIEW and SECTION 8 MAGAZINE. His latest works are PINKY EMBRACE, via 101 Secret Wing Dings, and a bonbon collection of six poems by BITTERZOET, to be released in the sultry-heat of late summer, 2015








I CAN FEEL THE WIND ON MY FACE


I bought a beautiful orange razor from Germany
I haven’t bought a razor in years
I shave with a pair of scissors because I like the sound
I watched a man shave his beard in Israel in a commercial


Dorian said I hope that didn’t give you any ideas
I didn’t tell Dorian I had bought something beautiful
An orange razor from Germany
In the commercial his little daughter didn’t know him


At first. His wife kissed him and said “I feel like I am
cheating on you” and his father hugged him and told
him that he was now a truly beautiful man


I can feel the wind on my face! he cried
and so Dorian bought me a big fan
It’s not the same, I said
and she bought me this huge air-conditioner
Really, it was humungous, too


All the while I was watching the television
and this handsome man and all the love in
his heart and in everyone’s


It’s odd that I should think I could accomplish all this
with a beautiful orange razor from Germany
the razor he bought was from Israel


And he had a wife, a daughter and a father too
They loved him before he did anything
to his face and he had something didn’t he


I on the other hand had nothing
Just look at me and tell me what you think  
I had


until yesterday when I received in the mail
You guessed it – something


a box of kisses from you from May 2013
They were wrapped in onionskin
and smelled like Ivory Soap


I put it next to my razor
that belonged to a stranger
and threw them all away
I wouldn’t need them anymore





ALLIGATOR V. CAT: 1-4


ALLIGATOR V. CAT -1


What they didn’t know was that after the camera was turned off
the alligator and the cat were really amigos.  The cat would
roll over on his back, and let the alligator rub him on his belly – 
the alligator would sit next to the cat and not eat him.


••


ALLIGATOR V CAT -2


What they didn’t know was that after the camera was turned off
the alligator and the cat were actually close friends. The cat would
roll over on his back, and let the alligator rub him on his belly – 
the alligator would sit next to the cat and let the cat do whatever
it is that cats do when they are being nice to alligators.


••


ALLIGATOR V CAT -3


What they didn’t know was that after the camera was turned off
the alligator and the cat used to be close friends. But as they grew 
older, they didn’t seem to have anything left to say to one another.


••


ALLIGATOR V CAT -4


I see the alligator, but not the cat. Squiggles must be on the veranda, 
having a snooze in the morning sun.



IN RETROSPECT


He played the piano magnificently and was happily married
to a beautiful woman from an interesting country who also
played the piano magnificently and was unhappily married.

~Ricky Garni

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