Shruburban Apocalypse by Terrence Sykes

is there ever a good time for the arrival
of the catastrophic Apocalypse
perhaps best to wait until after tea time
for unfolding unknown Revelations

for there is laundry yet to be folded
that toilet in the den needs scrubbing
those library books are due tomorrow
should return the neighbor’s plasticware
forgot if the newspaper was brought in

already burned the supper casserole
so now is as good as ever for me
but before it all goes down and over
let me slip on something a bit nicer
don’t forget to change your underwear

Terrence Sykes was born and raised in the rural coal mining area of Virginia.  This isolation brings the theme of remembrance to his creations, whether real or imagined.  Other interests include heirloom vegetable research & foraging wild edibles .  His poetry - photography - flash fiction has been published in India, Mauritius,Scotland, Spain and the USA

Not a Fish by Susan Isla Tepper

Sex sells every product the ad manager tells me.  But you already know that he says checking out my legs.  I uncross them.  Of course I do I tell him.  He knows very well I’ve been in this ad game a while.  What a dumb ass thing for him to say.  I keep my eyes brightly wide and make sure my gums show each time I smile.  Well good then he says.  Then he says sex sells hemorrhoid cream.  Hemorrhoid cream, yes, I can understand that I say.  Ice cream too he says.  Trying to bait me.  I’m not a fish.  Overall he’s pretty pathetic.  Then again so is the ad game.  So I guess that makes me pretty pathetic.  All the garbage gets turned into pearls.  Desirable.  I can hardly wait to get home and take a good dump.  See, I like my own toilet.  What can I say?  It’s my personal oddity.  I am entitled.  He’s staring at my breasts.  I feel like saying could you sell these?  They’re not twenty or thirty or even forty anymore.  Genius could you sell these if you’re so damned talented?

 

Susan Isla Tepper is a twenty years published writer in all genres. Her current project is an Off-Broadway Play on the subject of art and life.