Brad Garber

I gotta do something was it screw on the top to the salsa jar put the silverware away wipe the counters close the top to the box of crackers wipe the pollen from the center piece off the table and put the lid on the peanut butter water the plants fold the clothes put another load in the wash change the sheets feed the cat vacuum the carpet take out the trash and then the recyclables move the cooler off the porch and the golf clubs into the spare room oil the table put some toilet paper on the roll straighten up the magazines on the coffee table wash the dishes should I pick up the guitar no I don’t have time because the crap in the cat food bowl needs to be cleaned out and I need to throw old food out of the fridge before it stinks and there is a poem that I dreamed about last night or at least the first or maybe last line and it was awesome but I know that I have to get the toothbrush and paste out of my travel bag and the aspirin and other medications and goddamnit that lost sock and all I want to do is sit down but the cat needs to be fed because he is out on the back porch with his flea-bitten nose against the glass and I can’t turn my back on a wanting animal and by this time the plants need to be watered again because they are tropical and soak up gallons in a week and I don’t know what to do about the fleas even though I have bombed the whole place and sprinkled diatomaceous earth all over and it coats the books and antiques and then there is the left wheel differential fluid that needs to be replaced and the two new tires I need to buy before the desert excursion next month and what was it she wanted for supper tonight I think we have everything we need but I just haven’t been able to find or remember the lemon pepper what a great invention lemon and pepper makes all the difference especially on white fish with butter-fried brussels sprouts and I know you’ll laugh because who likes brussels sprouts but you really need to try them but this is what I will fix after I replenish the bird feeders with black sunflower seed flax suet but for now I need to write and think about what needs to be done tomorrow

Brad Garber has published poetry in Cream City Review, Alchemy, Fireweed, Uphook Press, Front Range Review, theNewerYork, Ray’s Road Review, Flowers & Vortexes, Emerge Literary Journal, Generation Press, and Gambling the Aisle, among other publications. He was a nominee in 2013 for the Pushcart Prize for his poem, “Where We May Be Found.”