The Hymn to Brush Creek by Jason Baldinger

Canestra di Frutta par Caravaggio

The Hymn to Brush Creek

when a man greets you
with an eighth of weed
and a pack of cuddling cats
you know he understands
just what the roads does
to a person, how it twists
and addles perception

and fuck responsibility brother
after I read, I’m happy
to match you drink for drink
until the wee hours of the morn
there’s more stories than
we can ever tell, if we bust
our guts laughing
we can always get stitches

I know it’s hard to believe
that a college dropout
could ever pass the bar
but I swear to you brother
I am a goddamn lawyer
I’ll litigate my way though
any hangover, so long
as I have an edible
and I can lose myself
in a Caravaggio
just don’t let me get too
close to that Rothko
the way I feel now
I could fall in

if you don’t have a bloody
mary morning then I
recommend it for the
afternoon. it’s a sure fire
way to get your stomach straight
for one of the great gifts
of the magi: barbecue
that bottle of gin was full
in 1920, I swear to god
we’ve been drinking
since prohibition
poured concrete in
the bed of brush creek
I don’t think ginger ale
can save us, but if you
got another eighth
I can easily be persuaded
to stay on retainer

Jason BaldingerJason Baldinger is a poet hailing from Pittsburgh and recently finished a stint as writer in residence at the Osage Arts Community. He’s the author of several books, the most recent are This Useless Beauty (Alien Buddha Press), The Ugly Side of the Lake (Night Ballet Press) written with John Dorsey and the chaplet Fumbles Revelations (Grackle and Crow) which are available now. The collection Fragments of a Rainy Season (Six Gallery Press) and the split book with James Benger Little Fires Hiding (Spartan Press) are forthcoming. Recent publications include the Low Ghost Anthology Unconditional Surrender, The Dope Fiend Daily, Uppagus, Lilliput Review, Rusty Truck, Dirtbag Review, In Between Hangovers, Your One Phone Call, Winedrunk Sidewalk, Anti-Heroin Chic, Nerve Cowboy Concrete Meat Press, Zombie Logic Press, Ramingo’s Porch, Blue Mountain Review, Red Fez, Blue Hour Review and Heartland! Poetry of Love, Solidarity and Resistance. You can hear Jason read poems on recent and forthcoming releases by Theremonster and Sub Pop Recording artist The Gotobeds as well as at jasonbaldinger.bandcamp.com

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