Photography © Jennifer Matthews

 

At the Last Automat after the Apocalypse

After all the great cities of our nation have collapsed
and the interstates lie crumpled like geological faults
and the burnt-out clinkers from coal-fired generators
have turned into frogs and hopped into ferny forests
and all the planes have crashed into empty airports
and the only ambient sounds are choirs of wild birds,

I will follow the fading ruts of an obscure wagon trail
until I emerge in some downtown corner of a lost city
where the Chock Full O’Nuts smells like fresh coffee
and Lampston’s has rows of blue and yellow parakeets
pecking at the few seeds on the floors of their cages,
and when I unlatch the cage doors, frantic parakeets

will flutter out and flock in my hair as I walk toward
the last functioning Automat restaurant with its rows
of glass cubbies, and I’ll find in my fuzzy pocket lint
a buffalo nickel and silver dime, just enough to unlock
the little glass door and swing it open to a warm wedge
of cherry pie with one cold scoop of vanilla ice cream,

and I’ll rest here at the world’s end where my only work
is to ask myself, Do I eat this with a spoon or a fork?

 

Penelope Scambly Schott’s most recent book is Waving Fly Swatters at Angels. WAVING FLY SWATTERS AT ANGELS. Forthcoming is gOD: A Respectfully Divergent Testament. She lives in a small town (pop.: 635) where, while everyone else goes to church, she climbs Dufur hill to sit on her favorite rock and look at five mountains. Every time she climbs the hill, something has changed. Penelope is a past recipient of the Oregon Book Award for Poetry.

Poet/Photographer Jennifer Matthews’ poetry has been published in Nepal by Pen Himalaya and locally by the Wilderness Retreat Writers Organization, Midway Journal, The Somerville Times, Ibbetson Street Press and Boston Girl Guide. Jennifer was nominated for a poetry award by the Cambridge Arts Council for her book of poetry Fairy Tales and Misdemeanors. Her songs have been released nationally and internationally and her photography has been used as covers for a number of Ibbetson Street Press poetry books and has been exhibited at The Middle East Restaurant, 1369 Coffeehouses, Sound Bites Restaurant in Somerville and McLean Hospital.