Jerome Berglund

bushy tale

Some toothless lady with her hair all lopped off crew-cut buzzed sizes me up looks top to bottom after bumming a hand-rolled cigarette and asks where to score; after complimenting my Goodwill finery she does not accept my professions claims to being clueless ignorant further allusions about actively undergoing chemical health treatment at this very moment neither do those persuade her she is insistent I must be knowledgeable apprised, aware, conversant – at last I direct her to the bus stop adjacent where I assure that people on all sorts of drugs regularly congregate; unclear what she means by don’t quit your day job but interpret I’m not dressed for the one I want.

food coloring
something familiar
at once sinister

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About the Author

Jerome Berglund has worked as everything from dishwasher to paralegal, night watchman to assembler of heart valves. Many haiku, haiga and haibun have appeared in Bottle Rockets, Frogpond, and Modern Haiku. His books include Bathtub Poems (Setu Publications, 2023), Funny Pages (Meat for Tea Press, 2023), and And Mash, a mixed media chapbook showcasing his fine art photography (Yavanika Press).

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