"A planet doesn't explode of itself," said drily
The Martian astronomer, gazing off into the air--
"That they were able to it is proof that highly
Intelligent beings must have been living there."

- John Hall Wheelock

Hope?
Nope.

- Robert Zend

I come in from a walk
with you
and they ask me
if it is raining.

I didn't notice
but I'll have to give them
the right answer
or they'll think I'm crazy.

- Alden Nowlan

There was a young man from Perth
Who was born on the day of his birth.
He was wed, so they say
On his wife's wedding day
And he died on his last day on earth.

- John Robert Colombo

Sent as a present from Annam--
A red cockatoo.
Coloured like the peach-tree
blossom,
Speaking with the speech of men.
And they did to it what is always
done
To the learned and eloquent.
They took a cage with stout bars
And shut it up inside.

- Po Chü-I

If you say in a poem "grass is green,"
They all ask, "What did you mean?"

"That nature is ignorant," you reply;
"On a deeper 'level'--youth must die."

If you say in a poem "grass is red,"
They understand what you have said.

- Louis Dudek

On the night of the execution
a man at the door
mistook me for the coroner.
"Press," I said.

But he didn't understand. He led me
into the wrong room
where the sheriff greeted me:
"You're late, Padre."

"You're wrong," I told him. "I'm Press."
"Yes, of course, Reverend Press."
We went down a stairway.

"Ah, Mr. Ellis," said the Deputy.
"Press!" I shouted. But he shoved me
through a black curtain.
The lights were so bright
I couldn't see the faces
of the men sitting
opposite. But, thank God, I thought
they can see me!

"Look!" I cried. "Look at my face!
Doesn't anybody know me?"

Then a hood covered my head.
"Don't make it harder for us," the hangman whispered.

One Fine Day in the Middle of the Night

One fine day in the middle of the night

Two dead boys got up to fight

Back to back they faced each other

Drew their swords and shot each other

A deaf policeman heard the noise

And went and killed those two dead boys

If you don't believe this story is true

Ask the blind man he saw it too!