Alexis Rotella
Blackbird Pie
Right before dusk, the codger walks out
of the berry-field woods. Covered in coal
dust, only the whites of his eyes show.
My best friend says not to go near him
even if he offers candy. He’s the bogey man
and he eats children for breakfast along
with his scrambled eggs.
plump like grandma the tooth fairy
About the Author
New to Greensboro, NC, Alexis Rotella has been writing Japanese poetry forms in English since the late 1970s. Her most recent books, Scratches on the Moon (haibun) and the anthology Unsealing Our Secrets (MeToo Stories) earned Touchstone book awards. Her latest anthology, Grandmother’s Pearls, is available on Amazon/Kindle, as are a number of her books.