laura and the conic sections

"We're similar," said the ellipse.
The circle told him, "Bogus.
I can't stand your protruding tips.
You're projecting an extra focus."
"Projecting?" th'ellipse queried,
Saving his single face,
"You can't stand—can't stand, period!
Roll on, you special case!
I'm not surprised you missed my point,
'Cause you don't have one in ya.
But there's a linguist in this joint
Who's shown it in Tigrinya."
At that, the circle realized she was smitten.
They were wed atop the Oval by L. Whitton.

oh mi corazón

Ferdinand quit the china shop,
Broke even in corridas vs.
A range of accidental matadoras.
Now softer horns make sharper pop
From shards of each flamenco verse.
Vaquera harmonizes on the chorus.

we're all on

more world than word, less can than did,
more camera, less caption;
less quantifier, more adjective,
less quatrain: smile! more action!

subway cats

On Saturday, a Bushwick cat
Severed an earbud cable that
For months, Maggie, in Cobble Hill,
Had not once taken for a tail.
By Sunday, after being replaced,
The wire acquired a better taste,
Suggesting rumors spread by felines
Follow, like us, the L and G lines.
Trusting they'll heal, some people, too,
Take tips on who they might bite through,
A shocking but short-lived sensation;
Others just strip the insulation,
And bring each other what they kill:
Menage à trois with the third rail.

♫ Love In The Cards ♫

You played the red queen, I played the red king
We played Carla Thomas and Otis Redding
But since we discarded, the more time passes
The more we discover a pair of jack asses

You weren't easy to deal with
But I shouldn't have said no deal
The game got rough, but there's time enough for healing
We hold the same feeling, I'm calling your bluff

You talk about your deal breakers
But I can't deal to anybody new
A pair of broken hearts makes it hard to play
But with love in the cards, I'll come back and I'll stay
No, I can't deal to anybody new
Cause there's love in the cards, and you love me too

The last time we broke up, you picked up that joker
He helped you reject every deal I could broker
You said we were over, I folded too soon
Since then I've been running, trying to shoot the moon

I wasn't easy to deal with
But you shouldn't have said no deal
The game got rough, but there's time enough for healing
We hold the same feeling, I'm calling your bluff

You talk about your deal breakers
But I can't deal to anybody new
A pair of broken hearts makes it hard to play
But with love in the cards, come back and I'll stay
No, I can't deal to anybody new
Cause there's love in the cards, and you love me too

Now you're calling my hand unforgivable
Us incompatible, our life unlivable
You're so beautiful when you play nice
But you won't play cards, so I guess it's no dice

We weren't easy to deal with
But our love burned like the real deal
The fire's not out but we just weren't able
And our card table is firewood now

I heard about your new player
And I can't stop you dealing him in
A real king guards you, takes away your fears
And if love's in the cards, I'll be the ace of tears
No, I can't stop you dealing him in
But if love's in the cards, I feel sorry for him