Stone Soup Servings is a regular series for Oddball Magazine that features upcoming performers at Stone Soup Poetry, the long-running spoken word venue in the Boston area that has partnered with Oddball Magazine. Stone Soup Poetry now meets from 7-9 p.m. every Monday at the Out of The Blue Art Gallery’s new location at 541 Massachusetts Avenue in Central Square Cambridge, Massachusetts. The open mike sign-up at 6:30 p.m.

On August 17, we welcome local poet on the rise Alfred A. Zuñiga to the podium. He continues to get his work out more, as can be evidenced below. Read a fitting poem from Zuñiga as we prepare to be in attendance this Monday and continue to count down to summer’s end.

 

End of Summer

A parlor jockey,
frenzied to a lunatic froth
from an August heat
and high pitched squeals
juggles frozen globes
with names like Chunky Monkey
and Cherry Garcia.
This hawker of kid crack,
pitches and plops
a choice scoop on
a knurled edible pedestal.
The cone, precariously held
by sea soaked hands.
Grains of a tide swept castle
pop out of fingernails
As they lock into grooves.
A tongue turns
the neon green
of Peppermint Stick.
The rainbow jimmies stuck
to the roof of his mouth
saved for the ride back.
He licks wayward drips
dribbling on his hand.
The sweetness stung
by the salt sheen caked
on sunburned skin.
The multi-applications
of super SPF sun-block
washed away
chasing waves.
His little world,
with each insatiable impact,
is bumped off its axis;
All accrued good humor
churning inside.
With a killer lick,
it tumbles and sticks
splat on the pier.
Silent in a daze
his eyes’ glaze
leaks down to
a quivering frown.
The jockey, lick quick
with the look of pity,
winces, for what’s next.
A wail, so gut wrenching
he collapses behind the counter
as if to avoid being trampled
by the boy’s runaway pain.
He stands right up,
the silver shine of
his wand waving
the boy back in.
A new scoop
stops the tears
a smile appears
but the savor
won’t be
the same.