it’s time for a showdown
bananas peeled and cocked
protein death at fifteen paces!
the plugs are in the sockets
the cables are pulled through
i’m ready to cross swords!
we salute with both fish drawn
with bearskin pants and hats
pomp and ceremonial slap!
and poor shakespeare is goggling
from a portrait on the wall
at this school play of ‘hamlet’
by TETIANA ALEKSINA & TONY SINGLE
© All rights reserved 2023
Once upon a time, Vladimir Putin shot himself in the head and billions around the globe rejoiced. Steven Seagal, however, did not rejoice. He mourned the death of his boyfriend and never made another shitty martial arts movie ever again. And this too caused the billions around the globe to rejoice. The end.
P.S. Though one other person did cry… but who cares?
by TETIANA ALEKSINA & TONY SINGLE
© All rights reserved 2023
“Ahchoo!”
I was running late. I should’ve left fifteen minutes ago but a sneezing fit put the kibosh on that.
I sneezed from the front door back to the bathroom cabinet where I hoped the antihistamines were. I saw myself as I opened the mirrored door, all streaming nose and puffy eyes.
“Ahchoo!”
I looked at my watch. I should’ve left five minutes ago. Stop… five? I rubbed my eyes. No, the time was right. So, what would I need to do to get back to not being late? Get another sneezing fit? Cough? Fart?
Time travel, eh? Who knew?
by TETIANA ALEKSINA & TONY SINGLE
© All rights reserved 2023
a girl and a dog sing under my window
the minor falls, the major lifts
and all my disquietude drifts
off to one side and out the door
the sky full of stars and the moon so blue
moths take a fancy to my table lamp
my cheeks recovered from their former damp
and the thought in my head that boys don’t cry
i look at the pile of crumpled sheets
the last blank page in my shabby sketchbook
the promise of less is all it took
to end at the start and cry some more
so i draw the girl and her funny dog
the stars and the moon, moths and the lamp
and this seat of emotions will subtly shift
to slough off the shadows when morning comes
by TETIANA ALEKSINA & TONY SINGLE
© All rights reserved 2023
white foam and grey ash
on the brim of my tumbler
a plated mushroom head
with poppy seeded tundra
radioactive pine nuts
scattered over snack dish
an off-white triangle
its perforations kissed
lo, i drink to the health
of whomever killed him
by TETIANA ALEKSINA & TONY SINGLE
© All rights reserved 2023
unbolt me 