Tom Formaro


Airbnb Advice

My welcome has outstayed languorous 
verbiage and recorded time-slip in five-four— 
but not before the betweening predetained 
eternity and its pervicacious silence in the last 
measure—I could never find my grandparents 
treasure so please accept these three fuchsia 
pink roses in a stained Mason jar by the door-
step—or at least try the smallest detached 
dewy petal before you go—Take the main bed-
room if you like—the wallpaper makes me dizzy
and gives me cravings for circular arguments 
and square roots of prime numbers—I had
an irrational vision of a red moon in May 
that incriminated me in a cool misty mourning



Bank Run Advice

Lateral parentheticals forged in successive
missed apprehensions remain highly un-
certain—The curtain calls again and again
Will someone finally pick up the pieces 
and provide the maverick right hand with
enough permeable excuses to dribble 
out the clock—Take shock and thaw the 
events   but don’t call it a blackjack clap 
back unless you can outgun all the other 
kids in their cardiac kicks—If the night is 
filled with scholars and soldiers   call it 
the magic of metallic madness washed 
out in the valley of fallen angels glowing
among acres of corroded teardrop campers

Tom Formaro is a writer, drummer, and dad. His poetry is forthcoming in Janus Head, and his fiction has appeared in Spoilage, Akkadian, and SoMa Literary Review. He has also published a novel, The Broken Heart Diet, and a children's story (co-authored with his wife, Rachel), Alfonso the Christmas Pumpkin. Tom has taught creative writing in an elementary after school program, to at-risk middle school students and in private workshops. His poetry takes random and deliberate thoughts, glances, and earshots and torques them until some sense of motion emerges. He holds an M.A. from Iowa State University. He lives in Des Moines, Iowa, United States with his wife and daughter.

The poems above are from his in-progress collection, Advice for My Daughter.

 
 

previous page     contents     next page