[Hot off the press, & with best wishes from L.E. Leone to y’all—enjoy!]
THE TOAST
The chicken farmer’s husband, a carpenter, is building her a new coop. People crave chicken and her business is expanding.
But that’s in France, where I left my dirty boots, in a region famous for butter.
Here, in Century City, the word on the street is: “Dentistry.” Yes, the dentists of L.A. can (and will, it is said, for a price) turn you into a Christmas tree. Flash, blink, gleam, you’ll be the belle of the ball, and once a year small children will run to you.
“What happened? Who is he?” your girlfriends will say, while meanwhile in the buffet line lead guitarists and lesbians fight for your hand.
A tin of ziti is overturned, almost without you even noticing.
“My dentist!” you will shout, over the racket and with a twinkle, to your girlfriends. You will put your fingers on their arms, in English.
From now on . . .
Wherever you go, even France, you will be the toast of the party. Nay, you will be the part of the breakfast that toast longs to be dipped into. Only white, instead of yellow.
And gorgeous instead of over, or easy.
Imagine: you don’t need braces, caps, or bridges. Your smile is whole milk, honey; your bite, the best! Everyone says so. You’ll be eating spare ribs at ninety. More to the point, you will be able to sink your teeth, finally, into poems like this.
L.E. Leone
© 2011
I'll be honest, at first I thought it was an actual joke what with the chickens (brain-washed, or what?).
ReplyDeleteI loved it! The only problem is, now I am going to go and eat more toast. It's okay, I'll just call it "Second Breakfast" before LUNCH.
Thanks for this trip, L.E.!
Kat
Hi Kat: I like LE would agree--a second round of toast is awlays in order. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteTo me the best part was when the dentists of L.A. are introduced; I like the connection between sparkling teeth and all the gleaming strings of light.
ReplyDeleteReading L.E. Leone's poems is sort of like being on a sight-seeing tour, but not a conventional one. There are all these twists and things veer off in unexpected directions, and suddenly you're in L.A. or among chickens, and it doesn't matter because every moment of the ride is great.
Hi HKatz: The dentist of LA is a great moment! & yes, I love your characterization of LE's poems as unconventional sightseeing tours--it brings quite a fun & happy image to mind! Thanks so much.
ReplyDelete