Rust never sleeps, they say, but Rustoleum never dries. Paint the town once and the rumors keep spreading. It’s like playing telephone but no one’s really connected. We speak in emojis while we’re one happy face from homicidal. Strong yes, but only for those who remain standing. How many cold ones does it take to tame a town? We’d calm down if there was an outlet available. The only drinking hole is a place so tough they named it “The Rebar.” We search for a dry place and find we have the whole country to choose from. There’s a lot of scratch out here looking for an itch. And when sleeping dogs play possum, we’re one hiccup away from a hookup.

Peter Jastermsky

is the author of seven books of haiku-based writing and lives in the high desert of Southern California. He is also an award-winning cherita poet whose work has been widely published, and a nominee for Best of the Net and the Dwarf Star Award. In 2017, Peter invented a new linked form that is haiku-centered called a split sequence. His recent book, Just Dust and Stone (Velvet Dusk Publishing, 2021) is a collection of collaborative split sequences, cowritten with Bryan Rickert. Peter’s other titles include Steel Cut Moon (Cholla Needles Press, 2019) and Fingerbone Sky (Yavanika Press, 2021).

More on the Web: By, About, and Beyond

⚡ “Love Thing”: The Allure of the Split Sequence, craft essay by Peter Jastermsky in Issue 9 of MacQ (August 2021)