"Keister It" and "Work Environment"
Keister It
some dishes come out spotty –
need to be sent back through
one more time, or several
Easter Lily stank
resurrection
a putrid process
crack across
clay Buddha’s hands
remain tight clasped
takes in blood of Christ
like a prairie oyster
folk remedy
things still feel dry
at April’s tail-end, yet
life begins to stir
Work Environment
The boss knew the blueprints well, and had carefully barred every other means of egress available to their small staff of temp workers. Alternative being the same but slower, each took their turn facing the gauntlet; some made it out punctured or missing a chunk, but as many were feasted upon piecemeal, indolently. As their ranks dwindled a pile grew, and he sat vigil upon its promontory cross-legged like a yogi, assured those who’d successfully escaped his clutches would not send aid for them cornered remaining. Nor did they.
gradually consumed
by a few whales
all those sharks

Jerome Berglund, nominated last year for the Touchstone awards and Pushcart Prize, has many haiku, haibun and haiga exhibited and forthcoming online and in print, most recently in the Asahi Shimbun, Bottle Rockets, Frogpond, and Modern Haiku. His first full-length collection of poetry Bathtub Poems was just released by Setu Press. Jerome recommends the National Lawyers Guild.