trying too hard, by Herman Shorts | poems, essays, and short stories in Poeticous

Herman Shorts

Herman Shorts

trying too hard

was all stupid.

you weren’t that

entertaining. i

find it all only

sad now, that

we all seemed

so intent on

always making

it matter so

much. might

have been

better, but

for that.

(2014)

Other works by Herman Shorts...

i keep smiling forgetting to remember to stop myself.

negative gravity

no means no. no response means no. (everyone knows maybe means nothing

liking to say things, all kinds of things, mostly about the way things seem

curse of the outlined object

the center holds itself still that rockets believably may be seen exploding in all directions from somewhere vaguely

ideally, a metaphor captures it

love me past the edges, stances and masks, deeper than i know things.

1

1

drry awfl drd sys thngs tk t lng & y bttr hrry lst y

2

2

so, i’m in this spiritual war. maybe you aren’t, but i am. many great losses

1

bring me things to break myself upon till

Foundational Concept Entirely Horseshit

yeah, the contract the social one, so long ago supposedly agreed to, we were born instead into. what

About People and Things

I love how you talk Down to everyone In your poems Which, unlike fiction Are not covered

1

late to the party, or did it always suck?

the conquering child turns 50, gets the gag out its mouth, says here i am. let’s play now

2

finally, without knowing it was coming, he got to die. it was great. like a birthday party clown, he was equally the center

1

when (finally) we meet

when (finally) we meet I’m thinking spring wildflowers will bloom on high

1

2

the nature of the enemy

if i stub my fucking toe it’s their fault so say i, and who could argue? you almost

it by wasn't the told of so

life and even one good thing– anything, a course in wonders becomes? no school, thanks not for me. no lesson one so likes declaring to find itself legs. no