A Tornado Coming In A Poor Neighborhood

What did you find out?  I asked
my wife.  She said nothing.  I said
it hasn’t stormed.  She spoke it
does not matter.  The TV is not
working.  Must be another storm
I said.  The sky was darkening
quickly although it took a half hour
for everything to get thoroughly
black.  Booms came from the west.
Big Jack from across the street

called and said I should beware.
A tornado was coming.  I asked
from where.  He said he did not
know, and that I should go down
the basement.  I told Jack I had
none.  He said what.  I hung up.
I told my wife to be ready to get
under the bed.  She said where
was that.  I said the one in our
bedroom.  She said oh and got her

jammies on.  I told her not to moan
or worry, that we would be fine.
From next door kids started to yell
and say no school.  Arthur Lang came
over and wanted my gun.  I said Art
I sold it.  He said that was stupid.  For
some reason I closed my garage door.  
I asked my wife to tell the kids if I
died that I did love them an awful lot
even if I was black and ugly poor.

Daniel Gallik

Big And What Else Is In America

I’ve seen big people in little places
all over the U.S.  I have seen people
break little laws and end up in
the headlines.  I’ve watched old folks
do young things.  Fat do thin stuff.
You have never asked me why
I see such things.  You have sat
in your soft chair thinking it was hard.

Leaders do little things and end up
on the TV.  Cokes look like Pepsis
to no one.  Spaghetti is really linguine.
Bosses beg to want anyone to know
they do everything.  Words become
less syllabic the more you say them.
I have seen yellow look awful
light brownish.  I saw a pineapple

that seemed like a stone.  The President
became a wanton chief.  Casual oinks
became loud moos.  One time, not long
ago, I viewed my wife as a lady who
wanted all my money, had it, and did
nothing except wait and wait until
all my relatives died, and then, spent
it on purses at a mall nearby the estate.

Daniel Gallik
danielmichaelgallik@gmail.com
www.dangallik.com