[how it comes down ] Ron Androla

the body stops.
bone is stone & skin
is cold, no pulse.
no blood. we are
drained thru tubes

by an intense mortician;
or we're not even rectangular
anymore, we're ash,
ash dust like
lava dust & we

were certainly
volcanic
gravity'd
like legs
were tons of dripping lead.

we spoke
a whole lot
of shit, methane
mist on our
words like fog

clinging to
a galloping horse
of molecules
brown'd by
excrement --

what we think
what we don't say
gets sd
somewhere within
looping intestines of time.


[whiskey glamor ] Karl Koweski

her father was the town drunk
a quaint title nowadays
considering the countless
minions of chemical decimation
roaming the streets today

she doesn’t remember him
in any family context
he was long gone by then
following the gutter to
the ruin that awaited him

but she’d see him on
occasion over the years
mostly from the window
of the family station wagon

his feet ravaged by gout
he’d limp from bar to bar
where he’d cadge drinks
dressed in his summer garb
heavy corduroy pants
flannel and a Cubs stocking hat
until the gout in his feet
gangrened, poisoning his blood

so that years later when
her boyfriend introduced her
to the work of Charles Bukowski
she’s wholly unimpressed with
his posturing


[Horizons are Relative ] jeremy smyers

whispers resonated through our room;
bouncing along our curves.
she said, I love you.
that's when all seemed fine.

flipping off the light,

we hugged our pillow between us.


[Pets ] Luis Cuauhtemoc Berriozabal

The recently graduated
are like perfect, well-behaved pets:
potty-trained, well-dressed
and easily redirectable
for the steady paycheck
and the usual bone-us: the pets
will wag their tails, roll over,
do tricks for the employer,
who is not close to being their best friend,
but the master who holds the leash.
The pets are young and eager,
willing to jump through hoops on fire.
The pets are known to get burnt.
Now and then they learn something.
They try to force the hand of the boss.
They step into the clone chamber
and it's "meet the new boss,"
promoted, brainwashed, and clonified.
[August 03] SPENT MEAT [Issue 7] ©rcpoet.com
Editor's Notes:
The release of my poetry collection, Flesh Wounds, set for September may get bumped back a couple of months due to another project that requires my brain cells full attention. I thank all of you that have pre-ordered copies. If this wait pisses you off, just email me for a refund. If not, I promise it will be worth the extra wait.
I just returned (do we ever really return from anywhere) from vacation and I don't have much to say for a change. If you are looking for some cool original artwork, erotic or otherwise, just click the picture above left for a look at the gallery. Let's get right to Issue #7, which I believe is the best issue of Spent Meat so far.

RC Edrington
[A Giant Oaf Rescued Me] jackie goldstein

A giant oaf with a gentle demeanor.
He looked like one of those wrestlers on TV
With stray hairs flying crazy, and a face
That had hit the tarp too many times.

He thought nobody wanted him, too damn big
And stupid. His first wife fled—
Left him for a guy that was bald with a fat
Bank account. The second one
Made no pretense, just flat and left.
You think he has abandonment issues?

We met in the back row of an Overeaters
Anonymous meeting. It was my third time
And I was pressed in a seat swaddled
In my winter coat begging to be anonymous.
He fell into the chair next to me. I was mortified
And prayed he wouldn’t talk to me. He introduced
Himself with a big toothy smile and I fell in love.

The first time, it was like being in bed
With a huge St. Bernard being slobbered
All over, the breath knocked out of you
From it’s weight and girth but
Loving every minute of the affection.
I was a puppy lapping it up;
Curled up in a ball wrapped in
His paws and falling asleep.

I suppose we look goofy together.
Me—five foot five, pear shaped bottom with what
An old boyfriend called outstanding breasts;
Staring up into the stars at six foot four.
He thinks I’m beautiful; it’s not in my mirror.
I see a hero, a knight and a movie star
The thing is, it doesn’t matter
What anyone thinks,
Not even my mother.
[Obsessed with Street] Dan Provost

I purposely drive through the battered streets of Worcester on my way to
some obscure meeting and witness the people walking to their death march.

Some have seven teeth, some have two-some have beards that cover the craggy
face. the beaten by life face which yellows as each passing day grinds to a cold halt.

Some sell their bodies; some don't. some raise their glass to existence

Some don't. but wish they could.

It's easy for me to be on the outside looking in at these people, while
living on the cusp of the marginally accepted. I can witness the "worthless"
like some misguided tour, a trip to the perverted zoo as it were.

My truck is my refuge, sighting examples of lost humanity through the
comforts of a heating system and an FM radio.

Yes, I can leave the path that hookers, bums, and the socially maladjusted
walk to-and snuggle up at home with my Dolly Parton blow up doll.

Drink some stale beer--eat three-day-old pizza.

And call this paradise.
[whimper] justin barrett

the best poems
are ones that
end with a
swift kick
to the crotch.

in lieu of that,
this particular
poem will
simply end
like this.		 [Bless You Father] RC Edrington

as a former Catholic
bent by booze
I now understand
what years of Mass
failed to teach

if the Pope relaxed
his staunch stance
against birth control
& abortion
it would severly limit
the dating pool
of all his
child fucking
priests
Website of the Month
The Writer's Gazette

I drunkenly stumbled upon this website a few nights ago. I haven't really taken much time to see what all they have to offer, but after a quick surf through the site I did find some items of interest. They offer a free weekly ezine on topics of interest to writers, a place to list for free ebooks, and numerous other tools directed at writers. Anyway, this site has a lot of great links you may find valuable. It is certainly worth a look. If you find anything useful here, drop me an email and I may highlite it next issue.

To subscribe or read back issues: SPENT MEAT