H.E. Mantel is an Aquarius male, Poet/Writer/Editor, published in Print and Online, including Ascent Aspirations, Shampoo, The Apocalypse, A Hero's Journey Anthology, Poetry By Moonlight Anthology, World Artist Network Magazine, Poetic Spit, Poetry Soup (Awarded), Retort Magazine, Lit-Up Magazine, Poetry Of Food Anthology, Wordgathering, Poetry Flyer, Doors Anthology (I & II), The Plebian Rag, Bare Back Magazine, Apocalypse, Gloom Cupboard; awaiting the publication of his Poetry collections, "Bananas' On The Moon...A Collection Of Revisionist Haiku" & "Sophistigates: A New Book Of New Poetry"; musician-vocalist, an avid reader, athlete, and devotee of Holistic Health through Vegan lifestyle, Ecology and his Writing to Help Our Earth to Heal. He resides in Florida.
- THE SEASON! -
Ahh, the mid-Summer
of kiln'd heat, elongest days
& starred-nights firm for
the race to the Pen-
nant... behind the dogdays in
right-field to - Aha!
Mr. October
up to bat... Oh, The Season
Upon, upon - oossshoouussssh!...
Majorhockeyhoops?
Nah! but the ONE turns Jung males
to pizza-breathing
smoke-alarms, husbands
to hops-swillin' house-plants, &
females to Mascots!
- "TUMI OR NOT TUMI?" -
...No, It was not my time
to jaunt & jump about
the Morld with You, to
glowering-green-glows
of Ischia, the privileges
of Mackinac, "...our Paris, Ilsa!"...
Ornamented ataud &
calefacted incinerators
merely better-funded!, to a last-
notice of proteaned hoar, the
dearth of silk...
So, it was to be
Goa, or Delhi "curry-in-a-hurry" not,
and the touts & shouts
as We passed...
You in those shoes,
toeing-up with heel asway
like a silent, ticking-pendulum,
Me, watching...
Allowing sole specialnesses, but a few
to my inti-mated Life,
why there was You insinuate...
E'er Yours-sporadic, tho'
an extravagance of Soul!, like
incipient Sinatra, or
the piano of Jarrett! But,
No, it was not your time
to jump & jaunt-about
with Me, but for You,
like a junkie afeared of needles,
to be going, & mine
to Write... of It, plecking-off
the pilpuls from
My blanket, & You to
replacing contoured batteries
and
for Now... perhaps as recent
as tomorrows' accident.
- AQUARIUM AGE -
Grottoed
to the wall,
fluorescence afloat
4 wide
2 high
1 deep, an
ichthyologysm
pouted
angel smiles
in & out
of model caves, wile
winding, threading
faux drifting
forward & back fins, treading
like diaphanous lingerie
with nowhere to go
the smalls
hide
in tropical incarpceration
from striped black mollies'
embattled spece
& speckled zebras
in checkered futures
where none is welcomed
save C.F. Muddypuppy, Jr.
swabbing below O O O...
too bubbling unnaturally!
eyes
silverblue dart,
in confine grouper aggress
downturn at the mouth of hovel
graveled & pretty pebbled
this school for alienation
childfish innocence gone
of sweet, ingenue faces
gone
to 2 by 4 by 1 pool
tropicalla
not deep enough!
Vestibule
"Jake" chirrups
to his mirror
& circus clips
in grey-white plumearray
& orange jole
festooned canarycrown
unfurled-furled
talons & beak
that just won't speak
but
a plaintive, training whistle
in the day, night uncuttle
hungry
for more than scup seedlings!
All
whilst gaelic, loden lizards
thankfully...scamper.
H.e.m.
5.13.MMix.
(For J.I.K.)
