Grifter


Grifter is soon. Kinsey-counted digits,

slick skinned insert, picked the city's
provocative soccerer for visiting.

Curdled, terse outputs—floored outfits—

packed up: away, jersey. Gotta
ask Kesey to cost your proposal,

solve palsy with a blank-K grant.

Be sotted, risking silly for a slice
of exciting. Uneven breathing

wrestles the subtler bunsen
from upturned lungs, anxiety's upswing.

Forget we fought like toddlers. Pluck

up your cup of coddling, douse the
guesting ghost. This story's got legs.

(from Peter F Yacht Club #8, Fall 2007)

The new issue of the Yacht Club is out and, thrillingly, it's got a pile of Alberta writers in it. Yeah, Alberta, meet Ottawa. You can pick up a copy at the Ottawa Small Press Book Fair on Saturday. And you should. In addition to the Alberta cadre, it's got the most enticing preview of Stephen Brockwell's new collection, The Real Made Up (ECW Press, 2007).

Oh yeah, and nestled in there are a couple of things I've been working on for a new chap (working title: The soft, where): "Grifter" and "Cruise ship". Add it to the list of reasons I owe rob mclennan a beer.

I'm off to Toronto for a work thing tomorrow, back Saturday. See you at the fair.