Here’s another poem I printed in the Illinois Times, in my regular column of the letters page. I’ve never thought of myself as a poet so I just write what I want about happenings, memories, etc, and my style is limited to my space—a column’s width and not very long. I’ve followed John Knoepfle’s lead in using no punctuation or caps except when really necessary. Some caps are necessary in this poem about a transaction between myself and my daughter who teaches in a Wisconsin high school:

——–

I recently sold my daughter my pickup

she changed title insurance got new

plates but didn’t bother to switch yet

there was still some illinois grace

period yesterday she opened the packet

found wisconsin had issued her

F U TRUCK she called me how can

I be a respectable high school reading

teacher driving F U TRUCK her friends

whoop think the state out of its mind no

surprise with government they’ll probably

change them if you ask but it’s a nuisance

I say why not fix a flap to hide the letters

when a cop stops you lift the leather ask

what he’d suggest or maybe get some paint

change the F to P the U to O then you’d be

P O TRUCK only piss off the post office

you’re F U full of good ideas says my kid