romancing a pessimist

I thought I was clever

I bought my girlfriend
a dozen roses

eleven long stemmed roses
and one silk rose

on the card I wrote

I will love you
until the last rose dies

but when the first rose
began to wilt

she threw the whole batch
in the garbage
__________________________________________________________

small carnival on the edge of the Foodland parking lot

when you look up at me
there are
twin white stars
reflected on your
glasses
from the ferris wheel
revolving
at my back

it’s just another
trick of light

and all
the carnies smoking cigarettes
like inmates pacing the yard
act like they’ve seen it all before

the rocket ships blast up and down
the carousel cars turn round and round
spinning circles
everywhere you look

everyone going no where fast

the lady at the game booth
hooks you with promises
of a prize with every chance

and of all the chances that I took
the prices always outweighs the prize
yet I win
every time you smile at me
I win

when you look up at me
your eyes
hold all the
love and disappointment
in the world

we never rode the ferris wheel alone
I promised you we would
but
we never rode the ferris wheel alone

 

 

For the past twelve years, Karl Koweski has been living atop a mountain in northern Alabama. His monthly column, Observations of a Dumb Polack, can be found on www.zygoteinmycoffee.com. His latest chapbook of poetry is Diminishing Returns at www.sunnyoutside.com. This summer will see the publication of a full length collection of stories, Blood and Greasepaint, from www.epicrites.net.