Three Sleeping Steeples

by Benjamin Niespodziany

Chart Martian

Hollow charts of cartwheels and clothespins win over the lens of the block. The grandfather sleeping in the country street sneezes into the sky. It rains like a parade none intended to attend. The whole world fits safely inside another state.

Big Night Ignited, Paging the Farm

Such surprise when the bike spoke spoke. To misquote the jester is to treasure the sail. The spotlight dreamt of becoming a candle. The yacht off stage, plagued with fake joy.

Co-Workers Melt in Public

Staff asks for a spiritual retreat and instead receives teeth cleaning coupons. Tasmanian name tags become the company's hottest product. I'm trying to learn the concerns of Big Thermos. I'm so eager and ready to help.

Benjamin Niespodziany is a Chicago-based writer whose work has appeared in Fence, Puerto del Sol, BOOTH, Salt Hill, Sixth Finch, & elsewhere. A former Olive Garden waiter, his debut collection of poetry was released last November through Okay Donkey Press, & his forthcoming novella will be out with X-R-A-Y later this year.