Three Poems by JD DeHart: "Saucers," "Sharkskin," and "Prescriptions"

JD DeHart is a writer and teacher. His chapbook, The Truth About Snails, is available on Amazon. These poems have appeared previously at Leaves of Ink.

Saucers

shining
the light above
orders and threads

Do you believe
in flying saucers,
the prof asks
before tossing his
plate across
the lecture hall,
then:
How about now?





Sharkskin

We made sure to make
plenty of time for the sound
of the ocean, leaving the life
of flickering images behind
and neglecting the busy
eateries

In the deeper waves, dark
forms began surfacing, birds
dove in plumes of salt water

Dolphins, I said, but no,
the fins were different, the
bodies a shadow of rising
and plunging, disturbing
the calm, creating images
of rows and rows of teeth.




Prescriptions

A kind man in a lab coat
can sell me wares. Instruments
dot his walls like strange
modernist décor. I cannot
read his writing.
I hope it's good for me.
The ladies at the front desk
seem polite enough. They call
my name with mechanical
mispronunciation.
I have signed in, resigned in,
and when I leave, I have a slip.
Somehow, the druggists can read
it, looking at it, nodding,
the scribbles bearing meaning.
They ask if I have any questions
for the pharmacist. I want to graze
the topic of immortality, but this
does not seem to be a good time.

© JD DeHart