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Four Poems
Jonathan Bakken

Summer 2019
Heaven or Hell

After you die
The only people
You are allowed to talk to
For all eternity
Are the ones
You had sex with
On Earth

*

Everyone Has a Number

There is a middle aged woman
I don’t know her name
Sitting in the
Nearly empty bleachers
Yelling encouragement/advice
To the visiting
Ninth grade basketball team
Like a child
Excitedly throwing
Too much bread
To floating ducks
This middle aged woman
I have no clue
How many sexual partners she’s had
But
I’m observing her carefully
Wondering
As the visiting team goes ahead
By double digits
And she continues
Her enthusiastic encouragement/advice
At what point will a threshold
Be crossed
Where the visiting team’s lead
Is enough
For her to finally find peace


*
Helter Skelter Homeless Shelter

I own a house
I gave a small square
Of front yard land
To a homeless man
The square is not big enough
For him to comfortably lie down
However
If he bunches himself up into a ball
He can fit into the square and fall asleep
I have my children watch over him
And if at any time during his sleep
A piece of him should accidentally
Stray onto my land
My children will hit it
With a metal bat

*
Panda Express

Sure
I had to wait
Behind your massive back
And animal
Exposed sandal foot
In line for food
Your enormous order
To protect your overweight
Wife and child
Sure
I had to wait
But I also got to see
Your wife’s designer purse
Clash
With her ten dollar
Pant/shirt combo
Expertly matching
Your
Gold chain
Nestled in
A neckfat crease
A few links
Caressing
A significant
White moldy tipped
Mole



11:50:37
Monday Nov 5 2018