Poems by Erick Mertz

CROSSWORD EFFICIENCY


 

1. As boy growing up,
   four dollars folded, was a six letter
   word ending in ---lth.

2. Snowcapped Olympics, and
   their edge against the sunset:

   serrated.

3. Hands together: clap; solemn: monastic;

4. The last color, I recall the
   oceanscape:

   ashen.

5. With my crossword efficiency, I find
   that four letter word:

   that your lips, lover, finicky and pursed are in defiance of,
   not cold - not rain, hope:

   but time.

© 2003 Erick Mertz

---

LIST OF THINGS ACCOMPLISHED WHILE YOU WERE OUT


 

1.) some laundrytwo, fed
the cat &
there watched him
eat, simmering overjoying then

hid beneath the bed.

four.) hoped to warm icebox
leftovers

on the stove, but instead

5ive.) waited

© 2003 Erick Mertz



§ § §

Erick Mertz is a free-lance journalist/poet/playwright, living deep in the Sellwood neighborhood of Portland, Oregon.

Not only has his work has been printed in a bunch of magazines, it's been etched into the tops of bar tables and spray painted on countless underpasses in the area. Given a choice between an opera, a seminar on Investment Strategy and Underground Portland Wrestling, he'll take the latter.

Apparently, formal education made no progress in the growth of his sophistication or portfolio.

You can reach him at: edesade@yahoo.com

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