The Love Handle

By Scott Abels

A painting of twelve dogs
in a jury box
and a cat labeled defendant.

I catch my drift
looking out from the inside of
the bottom of Oh well.

Denial, National,
and there is love enough to fault it.
We make love and become hoarse.

You are doing
the right job.

Oratory should be
more important
to the Country.

Spit (onomatopoeia).
Pistols for the city.
I do not know what happens next.

Scott Abels lives and teaches in Honolulu, where he edits the online poetry journal Country Music. He is the author of Rambo Goes to Idaho (BlazeVOX, 2011) and Nebraska Fantastic (Beard of Bees, 2012). More of his work can be found in Sixth Finch, DIAGRAM, RealPoetik, Best New Poets, EOAGH, Tinfish, Forklift, Ohio, Anti-, H_NGM_N, and others.