Back Patio Poems

Josh Sherman

Space Me Like Laika

When I think of what I’m most jealous of

I think of Russian space junk

Satellites shot into the atmosphere

Laika burning up or lost, careening

cosmic software in need of updates

That famous photo of earth taken from

6-billion kilometres away

Indifference like CAA auto insurance

Uselessness like a store dedicated

to fidget spinners at the Dufferin Mall

*title was stolen from a Tinder profile

Michael Crichton

I want to write the Jurassic Park

of Great American Novels

But I’m worried that might actually just be

Jurassic Park

American Thanksgiving

“I’ll see if my bitch-ass family is available,”

says the man with the knuckle tattoos

before exiting the train

with his girlfriend

It was American Thanksgiving

not too long ago

Around 6:30 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 1, 2019

Bodega

I feel like sad corner-store fruit

I’m a little bit expired

I’m a little bit bruised

I wasn’t always like this,

but it’s how I am now

You’ll find me beside the Lays chips

and the gummies

You’ll find me under unflattering light

You’ll find me at unexpected hours

Josh Sherman is a Toronto-based classic narcissist. Find more of his work at www.neutralspaces.co/josh_sherman.

Each of these poems appeared in Back Patio Press at some point in 2020.