Sunday Service: Scott Hammer Poem
from SAVE
The player piano was haunted.
No one knew
the difference between
it and its twin
in Sioux City,
which had no spirit.
Saloons these days still reek
of hollowed peanut
shells.
Still cover puke with sawdust.
They play La Paloma of
Her Own Volition.
The machine rolls, the
keys get depressed.
Just like that, some drunk
in the corner
starts singing.
Scott Hammer is the author of the poetry chapbook Mock Draw. His writing has appeared in La Petite Zine, Noo Weekly, Lungfull!, Poet Lore, Press 1, Inertia Magazine, and Hamilton Stone Review. He is currently writing and living in Philadelphia, and can be followed on Tumblr.
December 11th, 2011 / 12:00 pm
Sunday Service
Sunday Service
Finally, a good poem!
the keys get depressed – nice!
This poem is ballin’ outta control.
PERHAPS THE SECRET TO WRITING A GOOD POEM IS WAITING UNTIL YOU HAVE A GOOD IDEA FOR A POEM
i like to think this playerpiano is on a steamboat.
and some drunk after singing
throws himself overboard into the river.
some drunk drowns. his body washes
up to the shore where his lover
is washing his only suit.
the lover sees some drunk’s body
as 15 doves exit some drunk’s mouth.
the lover traps the doves
under her dress
(and leaves some drunk’s body
on the shore for river children
to build a fort in) and
brings the doves to the home
of another lover.
she dresses another lover
in some drunk’s only suit
and they sit down
to a meal of 15 doves.
maybe i’m reading too much into it.
but i’m not sure what happens next.
50.gd/2g
nirl.eu/aR
nirl.eu/aR
nirl.eu/aR
nirl.eu/aR
nirl.eu/aR