ISSUE SIX: December, 2020

BALLADUS

by MATT DENNISON

‘Tis whiskey make the floor be slant,
not you nor I—we surely can’t
control the flow of elder rant
as whiskey can—Yes, whiskey can.

‘Tis whiskey roll the sky around,
no upside-down can ‘ere be found
as we dig holes of empty sound.
O whiskey can—Yes, whiskey can.

‘Tis whiskey stop the vicious clock,
five times and once enough for shock
till ships run dry upon the dock.
O whiskey can—Yes, whiskey can.

‘Tis whiskey sit you down to pray,
not stand nor fall along the way
to life’s rich stay of earthen grave,
O whiskey can—Yes, whiskey can.

MATT DENNISON is the author of Kind Surgery, from Urtica Press (Fr.), and Sunflower, upcoming from Main Street Rag. His work has appeared in Rattle, Bayou Magazine, Redivider, Natural Bridge, The Spoon River Poetry Review and Cider Press Review, among others. He has also made short films with Michael Dickes, Swoon, Marie Craven and Jutta Pryor.