Gator Poem 10

We saw
a gator
at a flea market
he had Rocky Colavito’s
autograph
he wanted $100
he had a picture of
Larry Doby too
Grandpa said
are you crazy?

Gator Poem 11

We
knew
gators
who left the coast
before a storm
with gossip magazines
the sky was dark
and ready
for anything
Kardashian

Gator Poem 12

If a gator
swimming five miles
an hour
leaves at 4:30 AM
in the swamp
and a gator
swimming ten miles
an hour
leaves at noon
in the swamp
where was each gator
at 4 PM?

Answer:
at a bar
singing karaoke
eating kids
but not the same bar

Gator Poem 16

Gators
next door
imagine
themselves
on Reality TV
it gets them
in trouble sometimes
like when the kids
forget to go to school
or feed the pit bull

Gator Poem 18

Two
gators
were
making out
at a drive-in movie
the car windows
steamed
at intermission
they got hot dogs
and popcorn

Gator Poem 19

All gators
work hard
but some make
promises
they can’t keep
and go off the rails
that’s what makes
the swamp beautiful
everyone gets
a second chance
to be tasty

John Stupp’s third poetry collection Pawleys Island was published in 2017 by Finishing Line Press. His manuscript Summer Job won the 2017 Cathy Smith Bowers Poetry Prize and will be published in August 2018 by Main Street Rag. He lives near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.