everything oven

the baker said, "it sure is hot"
he took a temperature reading
he couldn't cook his biscuits -
a lower temperature he was needing

"if i cooked them now
they all would burn a crispy black"
he put the dough back in the fridge
and then he hit the sack

"perhaps i'll try at midnight
or a quarter of to three"
the oven of the world
was still too hot to some degree

ray teeth

ray had more than his share of teeth
5,000 in all, both out and in
he had the usual number inside his mouth
and the rest were sticking out of his skin
and the rest were sticking out of his skin

ray was covered with teeth from top to toe
incisors and molars and more
just thinking about toothache and looking at him
made your whole mouth feel sore
made your whole mouth feel sore

to keep off tooth decay, he had to brush
his whole body of teeth, morning and night
if you ever saw naked ray brush his body of teeth
you would not forget the sight
you would not forget the sight

disaster struck at the gum factory
a massive stick came off the assembly line
nobody in the world could stick that stick in their mouth
but ray chewed it with his body fine
he chewed that gum so elephantine
with his thousands of molars and canine

reggie's smokestack

heat and steam could safely pass
and not crowd inside instead
for reggie had a smokestack
on the rooftop of his head

had doctors built it years ago
or was it there at birth
was it fashioned out of skin and bone
or brick or tin or earth

he said that if he lacked it
he'd be such a brutal bloke
and it looked so quaint and cozy
with its little curl of smoke

each blazing rage would safely pass
instead of festering in his gut
and he could burn all of our wood scrap
in the fireplace in his butt

sweet potato

the sweet potatoes are on the march
they're out for sweet revenge
they come from Boise and Boston, too
and some from old Stonehenge

the sweet potatoes are on the march
and they're not all that sweet
they'll kill a bag of marshmallows
don't think that they'll retreat

the sweet potatoes are on the march
and boy what a surprise
they look for kneecaps and skulls to break
they look with all their eyes

the sweet potatoes are on the march
and this time it's no game
who knows what mayhem will come of this
who knows who they may maim

the sweet potatoes are on the march
until it gets hot as damn
they cook and are eaten by starving kids
and yams aren't what they yam

mevison

i don't see you, i don't see you
i don't see you or you or you
i see only what i want to see
and that means i don't see you

i don't see this, i don't see that
i don't see this or this or that
i see only what i want to see
and that means i don't see that

i look across the crowded room
i could look in any direction
and if there's a mirror on the distant wall
i will only see my reflection

i don't see he, i don't see she
i don't see him or her or we
i see only what i want to see
and that means i just see me

skin of lynn

she had no tongue, she had no hands
no way to speak out or speak in
but lynn would tell her tales of woe
thru expressive vibration of skin

her skin made waves that sailed the air
you could sense them by touch or by sound
when your ears and skin felt extra pain
you knew that lynn was around

the frequencies she conjured up
were broadcast quality
the sad things that she vibrated
appeared on radio and tv

the media companies tried to stop
her with new regulations
but she told them, sadly, where to go
with a new set of vibrations

foot of head

margie had a problem
for which there was no med
she had two feet coming out her legs
and two feet on her head

at first she tried to hide them
with ribbons and with bows
but everyone saw thru them
and asked her, "what are those"

once she had a phase in which
her ped head made her proud
but a shopclerk pointed at her toes
and said, "bare feet aren't allowed"

while stylish hats on every brow
headlined the fashion news
margie wore upon her hair
another pair of shoes

on many days her footed head
made our margie frown
but she won the whole world championship
in walking upside down

is for

mike is short for microphone
william's short for will
eel is not for celia
and empty isn't phil

e is up for elevator
o is low for high
yes is no for maybe so
and who is what for why

crank is crick for river wrench
glass is tea for cup
six is ten for almost when
and downy isn't up

face is beer for too much head
hand is root for wrist
light is blue for darkness true
and this line for desist

winner mouth

my mouth entered me in the race
oh, i can't argue with it
and not far past the starting block
my mouth and i, we split

my mouth wanted to win that race
and i just didn't care
not long after that second curve
my mouth went solitaire

my mouth pulled out ahead of me
and gained upon the pack
that it had no legs or arms or hair
did not hold my mouth back

it was among the first to cross
the yellow finish line
i came in several minutes behind
that speedy mouth of mine

skin of frank

frank worked in the factory
he worked day out and day in
the candy pieces passed him by
and he wrapped them in his skin

he wrapped the candy in his skin
that was his job in life
his skin was clear as cellophane
he cut it with a knife

the skin he cut would all grow back
it worked out very well
but the factory increased production
and his system went to hell

his skin didn't grow back fast enough
not even on his shank
now he's in the jobless line
our old friend skinless frank

make up

so i was born, when did i die
and must i quit before i try
there is no script behind this show
i make it all up as i go

the first act ended all confused
the second act makes me feel used
the third act i don't even know
i make it all up as i go

i wear my suit of suction cup
to lie down on the ceiling up
the better to hear the upstairs banjo
i make it all up as i go

when i forget where all i've been
i write my start all over again
so i'm not such a sad zero
i make it all up as i go

finger soup

finger soup sure hits the spot
it tastes the best when served real hot
you made a pot? sure, i'll take some
especially if it's got some thumb

elbow pie? pass me a plate
especially if it's made first rate
sit right down, lighten your load
it's always best served a la mode

what in the world would poor me do
without a bowl of good brain stew
thick and chunky, and the best part
eat it every day and you'll get smart

and if you want a happy me
pour a cup of mustache tea
no palate cleansing mint? in lieu
i'll chase with after dinner poo

pickle head

i looked into the pickle jar
and WOW is what i said
you'd do the same if you looked in
and, like me, saw a head

a head was in the pickle jar
a-floating in the dill
i looked and then i looked again
the third look made me ill

a head inside my pickle jar
don't know whose head it was
i thought there must be next of kin
i wonder what the cause

i really love my pickles
head or no head, yes i do
if i am very careful
maybe i can have a few

i scoop my hand in slowly
i pretend the head's not there
as my teeth crunch, i'm reminded
when my tongue's tied by a hair

bicycle disease

i pedalled my bike from here to there
i rode with the greatest of ease
i crossed all the country not once, but twice
then my bicycle caught a disease

i called the bicycle doctor in
he did a medical test
he told me what my bicycle needs
is just a little rest

but i had back and forth to go
i told the doctor straight
the doc said bikes are humans too
so i would have to wait

but wait i won't, for i must go
i told the well-meaning quack
and if i must, well then i will
carry my bike on my back

so when i talk of travelling
to you or he or she
i cannot say that i ride my bike
for my bicycle's riding me

in the

in the house of rubber ceilings
in the house of rubber floors
bounce in and out of every window
bounce on walls and on the doors

in the barn of flaming brilliance
where the fire mules carry on
bring a match, it will betray you
bring a fire stool to sit on

in the concert hall of stillness
drop a pin, it sticks mid-air
keys in pocket will make thunder
any whisper breaks your hair

in the body bag of cuddle
it is dark but it is soft
hold your head up to see nightmare
balloon skull is now aloft

ned

ned
had a head
that was quite the shade of red
he kept it mostly in his bed
when i asked him, this he said

shane
had a brain
that was twice the size of maine
if you asked him, he'd explain
to do math, he needs a crane

meg
had a leg
that was brittle as an egg
she'll replace it with a peg
to pay for surgery, she'll beg

i
have a sigh
that is neither low nor high
some mistake it for "goodbye"
and some for a quiet cry