Poems in Passing by John Griffin Hale

A short collection of original poems, ramblings, and outcries.

There are these two young fish swimming along, and they happen to meet an older fish swimming the other way, who nods at them and says, “Morning, boys, how's the water?” And the two young fish swim on for a bit, and then eventually one of them looks over at the other and goes, “What the hell is water?”

–– David Foster Wallace

Annunciation of a Boy Shot Young

Captain called and broke the news

Two hollow points to the heart

Brought him down dead

On the spot. When I was young

I played soldier with my neighbors

Shot each other with shouldered branches

Bent with natural handgrips.

Acorns were bullets,

Pine cones were bombs.

That was before Columbine

And blue nerf guns

With orange tips

You could order on Amazon;

Before black spray paint

Came with an age constraint

And might cover

Plastic play guns

Kids brought to neighbors.

Before black-sprayed blue

And orange brought soft squeezes

On a matte black metal trigger

Curved like death’s scythe

Beside a mahogany handgrip.

That was before mother’s shriek

Drowned out two gunshots

And the heavy clanking

Of the gun dropped,

The one he carried

When he was young

Untitled

Sometimes I stutter when I speak

tongue clicks faster than thoughts particularly when apologizing I cough up words like

blood from the gut.

I like to think I’m the hero A savior, good just

Noble. I like to think I’m humble I’m scared of prison, heights and disappointment.

I stutter when I speak.

My sorry is timeless pauses Fidgeting, joking, moving on

I get defensive if you

Try to call me out I like conflict I don’t grow

Tired of bickering It’s the only time Words flow like liquor

Sunday morning into toilet bowls I always mean what I say

Even though I

Blame wrath blame liquor. I always mean what

I say I stutter but can still think. I don’t

Ramble. Sometimes I stop because I know words

Sting. You

wouldn’t know I say it anyway because I’m done

Caring

For you I’m self-absorbed, unempathetic I’m the reason for

Ninety three percent of your anxiety I think everyone is too

Sensitive. I think rich girls are soft.

I stutter when I speak except when I

Tell them to grow up

I stutter when I speak except in the street when I wake neighbors late night

I stutter when I speak except in blue light late night

Too drunk to see you Curbside crying, pleading

I feel sorry for myself I,

I stutter when I speak.

In Business Settings

After Billy Joel’s Only the Good Die Young

In business settings

Labels make you liable

For courtroom bloodlettings

Still, interns make the mistake early on

Of raising fist and palm

When admins ask with exasperation

Raise your hand if you’re not here

Corporations see nothing like car shops

When fixing bashed in minivans

They make use of blinker fluid

Metric adjustable wrenches

Aluminum magnets

Left hand screwdrivers only go so far

Be cautious of questions of the 43rd president

52 pick up and burning brown bags at the front door

For war, plague, the Boston Red Sox ––

Living isn’t such a serious endeavor

I pray to God for forever

As long as heaven has laughter

And a line outside its comedy clubs

If not, I guess it won’t matter too much