Thomas Fink


TERSE RHYMES 1
 
 
                                             Shell   
 
                                                             frame: 
 
                                                                                 harass 
 
                                                                restrain.   
 
                                                  Glass. 
 
                                  Shame
 
                      name. 
 
          Maim. 
 
Hell.
 
 
 
 TERSE RHYMES 2
 
 
                              Aperture 
 
              allure.  
 
Face 
 
              obscure. 
 
                                  Chase 
 
                                                     ace.
 
                                                                     Brace 
 
                                                                                       for 
 
                                                                                                    war. 
 
 
 
TERSE RHYMES 3           
 
 
Pew 
 
            Smell
 
                       insist       
 
                                   sin- 
 
                                            kissed 
 
                                                       tryst 
                         
                                                                 fall 
          
                                                                       to 
 
                                                                            install 
 
                                                                                      guilt 
     
                                                                                          sprawl. 
 
                                                                                    Silt, 
                                                                            rust, 
                                                                     dust. 
                                                              Hell
                                                        fist. 
                                                Trust
                                              In
                                      small 
                                 mist 
                          wall?
 


TERSE RHYMES 4
 
 
                                                                                        Tend   
 
                                                                            friend.   
 
                                                                Heed 
 
                                                      bleed. 
                                                      
                                         Upend
      
                                weed.     
 
                     Plead, 
 
          mend.    
 
Lead, 
 
         bend.  
      
                  Read
 
                          trend.     
   
                                   Breed 
 
                                            blend.  
                                                    Feed. 
                                                            End 
                                                                    need.

Thomas Fink’s twelfth book of poetry, Zeugma (Marsh Hawk Press), and a pedagogical critical book, Reading Poetry with College and University Students: Overcoming Barriers and Deepening Engagement (Bloomsbury Academic) will appear in Fall 2022. His work appeared in Best American Poetry 2007, edited by David Lehman and Heather McHugh. His paintings hang in various collections. Fink is Professor of English at CUNY-LaGuardia.

 
 

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