Two Poems by Sam Kealhofer
/Self Portrait
red hot
hot shot
soft spot
self taught
out right
low life
egg whites
highlight
dry mouth
deep south
field mouse
lighthouse
all out
strike out
drop out
no doubt
come back
high hat
snap back
black jack
lock jaw
bear claw
coleslaw
yeehaw
off beat
dead beat
back seat
mince meat
dirt bag
black flag
jet lag
zig zag
dry spell
blood cell
hard sell
clam shell
no show
tip toe
long bow
free throw
toe ring
bee sting
hot spring
yeung ling
bed head
corn bread
widespread
misread
heart burn
u turn
short term
book worm
backlash
heat rash
hot flash
whip lash
cockeyed
hillside
high tide
land slide
barcode
bulldoze
primrose
case closed.
Aubade
I woke up alone today
but that’s not true every time–
now and then life’s not so great
but really I don’t mind.
It’s gotten colder and work’s picked up
My jeans get stained with turpentine–
now and then life’s not so great
but really I don’t mind.
Sat out in my truck and smoked
the last cigarette I could find–
now and then life’s not so great
but really I don’t mind.
I went and bought another pack
and somehow my card did not decline–
now and then life’s not so great
but really I don’t mind.
Of course I had to gas my tank
but wrote a pretty poem in line–
now and then life’s not so great
but really I don’t mind.
I’ve learned to take life’s citrus and
make sangria out of wine–
now and then life’s not so great
but it might work out just fine.
Author’s Note: "Self Portrait" was written with rhythm and rhyme chiefly in mind. I was trying to access a language that didn't involve syntax, but instead relies on imagery and tone to convey its meaning.
"Aubade" attempts to use plain, everyday language. The structure of the poem resembles the humor and repetition found in day-to-day life.
Sam Kealhofer is a Mississippi native who recently obtained a Master's degree in English with a concentration in creative writing from Mississippi State University. His work has been featured in Dunes Review, Peregrine Journal, and some online publications.
