Second prize in Poetry, Ninth Annual Humanities and Sciences Writing Contest
Dream Pop drips down from the corner of his lip like sap,
sappy words that fall slowly down,
tongue on teeth to exhale exhaust exhausted
language lagressed with a teaspoon of that sweet
nunc scio quid sit amor that, darling,
he just can’t help.
Helping is the job of his phone calls with yearly birthday wishes;
helping is a job for the Double Happiness cigarettes
between his middle and index,
between his lips like language,
exhausted language like exhaust
honey he’s exhausted,
that’s why The Happiest Place On Earth shows signs of wear,
he’s weary, that’s why he needs his Double Happiness,
double the happiness,
two happy for the price of one
less dignified trip to the corner store.
There’s nothing more in store for the two of you.
That is that.
That is why there are chips in your neon pink paint chipped dreamworld -- that is why his
‘sorry I wasn't around’ trip to Disney Land ended on a bench by a designated sign shouting:
DESIGNATED SMOKING AREA!
Chris Cuthrell's poem won second prize in the Ninth Annual Humanities and Sciences Writing Contest. Chris is a 2D Animation major at the School of Visual Arts.