Hugh Tribbey - Three Poems

1

ONE KNOWLEDGE 

One knowledge bemused like

His ringlet, by election.

Reversing the flank

On the weathered housetop rosette.

Played politics in the smashed shandy.

The triangle would drink a foxglove,

Loving defeat inside somewhere,

Where airship speaks

In a web through its beauticians

From chain to chain,

But its fanatic payments

Made no seraph.

***
2

HES

Hes

Of st

Of Ed

Quire

Propo

Sch

Res

The

T our

Mish

Be en

Oul

Fisc

Ns

Clas

Oma

Th

Sa

Di

***
3

A BOOM, A BAYONET 

A boom, a bayonet, oh Papa!

As passenger anonymous

Eureka, Ben, Cambodia wagons

Panthers been tabled

Waco bitter , nabob groan

Oh Hitachi, oh robot

Two webpages romantic

A monolithic panda

Rhythm pampa, a pock mark 

Hyphenated pink

A cracked Kaiser bun

A pop up axe

Cake to subvert moss

A myth which lumps hornet caps

Bank a ketchup row

To check subcork 

Keep bath towels

Keep botched robbers

Ho Hey, amulet Babcock 

Hi, Eva, maintain 

A mess, renew syrup

Subsume banquet mop after axe

Commit to camp

Alex Salinas - Ju speak Spanish?

UNO. 

Ju speak Spanish, jes?

I looked down at my arms, 

white. 

No, I answered.  

Ju should learn Spanish, mijo,

            it’s important.

I don’t recall selling another tool that day.

Instead, I wandered the department store, the alleys of 

            memory.

Not even my own father told me to learn

            Spanish.

The customer was wrong. 

Who was he to judge if my

            tongue

was properly educated?

DOS.

Recently, I thought about his words, 

about blueprints. 

Straight white lines 

connecting, 

crosshatching 

on dark blue paper.  

TRES.

When you think about it, what blueprints are fully attuned to the rigors of

            reality?

When it comes down to it, what fathers fully understand all they must teach their

            children?