inert, like grey stone
inside a ribbed dewar cage
she was all heart once
the drub and thrum of seasons
now preserved for the next world
by TONY SINGLE
© All rights reserved 2022
inert, like grey stone
inside a ribbed dewar cage
she was all heart once
the drub and thrum of seasons
now preserved for the next world
by TONY SINGLE
© All rights reserved 2022
There’s no such thing as the perfect birth when an egg gets cracked in the process.
On the other hand, how to get born without some generous slaps to one’s silky-smooth bottom? Gotta spill some precious yellow soul to learn that life won’t be easy—best to get acclimated to that fact right away.
The cracks over one’s shell become like wrinkles on a face over time. They’re signs of wisdom and emotional endurance. Some fragility is to be expected.
And it affords all the King’s horses and all the King’s men a reason to buy shiny new glue guns!
by TETIANA ALEKSINA & TONY SINGLE
© All rights reserved 2022
Every time there’s a quadratic equation to be solved, I’m compelled to put my thinking cap on. And my thinking glasses. And my thinking moustache. And my thinking codpiece. It’s a whole thing, and I have to do it each and every time something crops up that’s even vaguely taxing on the old grey matter.
Now, you could say, “What’s the big deal? I whip my knickers on and off every day without so much as a howdy-do, and no one considers that the Labours of Hercules, do they?” Well, to that I’d say the Labours of Hercules is very much what I’m going through whenever I put on my thinking gear to get a problem sorted! Chronic fatigue syndrome ain’t easy to live with, son, and when you stack that on top of an obsessive-compulsive disorder that compels you to wear what amounts to a costume every time your brain farts…
Anyway, let’s just say it ain’t easy, and leave it at that. Oh, and did I mention that I’m a sentient, grey slime? No? Well, now reread the first part, keeping this new piece of knowledge in your springy, pink brain. A cap, glasses, and a moustache. I’m not even sure where the hell to put the moustache half the time! And the codpiece? The fucking codpiece that jams up my tender loins every time!
by TETIANA ALEKSINA & TONY SINGLE
© All rights reserved 2022
yoga mat hedgehog
he’s so neat and tidy
he’s rolling it away
for another day
alas, his legs are short
for doing downward dog
but he can do child pose
better than anyone
yoga mat hedgehog
loves pranayama
puffing out his chest
adds flair to his quills
alas, his back’s uncomfy
for doing shavasana
but who said he can’t relax
on his little belly instead
by TETIANA ALEKSINA & TONY SINGLE
© All rights reserved 2022
i was an attendant
at a mental hospital
i had my very own key
i’d wear a white coat
i’d carry a clipboard
nick all my pens for free
’twas my solemn duty
to make them hot cocoa
and play the odd dvd
and every so often
give a cleansing clyster
maybe massage a knee
each and every sunday
became known as bath day
i’d drown every nit and flea
but every time they saw me
those violent orderlies
would catch me, take away my key
they’d put me in a straitjacket
and ply me with laxatives
they’d ruin my power spree
they gagged my threats to denazify
with special military ops
i’m putin, don’t fuck with me
by TETIANA ALEKSINA & TONY SINGLE
© All rights reserved 2022