“Pro-Choice Demonstration Bentonville AR No. 1” © Bonnie Matthews Brock

 

SCOUT-US

Dear Supreme Court
can you explain why
the contents
of my belly
are of your concern
Is it your personal
worry that my diet
is paltry
causing a bloating
and other dangerous
ailments such as
weak bones and things
you musn’t let
trouble your sleep
And take up so much
time in your venerable
court
Dear Supreme Court
have I touched on the root
cause regarding
me and my body
because you should not fret
You have so much (to eat)
on your own plates
and your own digestive tracts
to consider and other
disorders plus
tremendous world problems
always looming
that need your strict attention
and your own families
(I know I keep harkening back)
with plenty to eat in the larder
Dear Supreme Court
are your families doing okay
will you take a nice
vacation this year
I hope so because
I would be the last person
to wish to disturb
your summer
plans and well being
Dear Supreme Court
whom I see as
keeper of the light
which is low here when
I can’t pay the electric
but don’t concern yourself
with my trivial issues
there are always candles
from the supermarket
of course not the kind
you are used to seeing
on long tables in tall
shining silver holders
but my stubby candles
Dear Supreme Court
do me fine and so
you needn’t worry
about me or my roof
that needs fixing
I have buckets to move
from one leak to another
which is not exactly fun
can you advise me
Dear Supreme Court
on how you handle
your own leaks

 

Susan Tepper is a twenty year writer and the author of nine published books of fiction and poetry. Her most recent are Confess (poetry from Cervena Barva Press, 2020) and a zany road novel What Drives Men (Wilderness House Press, 2019). Right now she’s in pre-production of an Off-Broadway play titled The Crooked Heart, re-written and adapted from an earlier novel, which focuses on artist Jackson Pollock in his later years.

Bonnie Matthews Brock is a Florida-based photographer, as well as school psychologist. She enjoys capturing raw single-capture photos of a wide variety of subjects, and learning and experimenting with shooting techniques such as long-exposure and intentional camera movement, as well as with editing methods. You can find Bonnie’s images on the covers of publications such as Ibbetson Street, Poesy Magazine, and Wild Roof Journal, and on the pages of Oddball Magazine, Beyond Words Literary Magazine, Ember Chasm Review, Beaver Magazine, and Unstamatic. Her works are archived at institutions such as Poets House NYC, Brown University, University of Buffalo, and Harvard University.