three poems
by Maxwell Bauman
Boardwalk
The parade curves at The Cyclone
and rolls around the track onto the Boardwalk.
Flying fish take off to the Moon at Luna Park.
Horseshoe crabs stampede in the Steeplechase.
Memories of Dreamland warm the sole
when shrimp popped peanuts on the carousel,
Venice in Brooklyn was full of juggling clown fish
before a burning bucket of tar reduced it to ashes.
Fingerfish fumble at the ring toss,
Mudskippers knock over tuna cans,
Guppies shoot water pistols at a clown's mouth
just to win a stuff animal packed with newspapers.
Once you could fall in love under the boardwalk.
Mementos of summer romance locked in a chest;
the treasure of young love wanted to be unearthed,
but the sands of time have packed in every inch.
Sonar
Trumpets blow bright like sea glass.
Flutes skip like stones.
The bagpipers never run out of breath.
Today no one has to hide their gills.
Sea shanty town houses for maritime folk.
Fiddlers-faddle "A pirate's life for me."
Banjo fingerpicks "New York Girls."
Squeezebox exhales "Blow the man down."
Radios blast a tsunami of competing sounds.
Calypso poets send shockwaves from steelpans.
Electric reggae tones call to northern whalers.
Rolling Surf Rock wipes out brahs hanging loose.
Deep Blue Something flutter kicks to Moon River
and crash the coral riff from Smoke on the Water.
Phish gargles "The Lionfish Sleeps Tonight."
Big Mouth Billy Bass electrocutes Charlie Tuna.
Summoning
Someone misspoke to a mermaid;
the sky grows dark and stormy,
thunder clouds gather on the horizon.
The ocean doesn't care when it's overcast.
Drummers advance stomping through salt water.
Great windswept waves splash their feet.
A beat only outmatched by the moon and the tides.
The drum major wants them louder, wilder.
Wake up the dragon.
Pandemonium slumbers below the waves,
eating its own tail for breakfast,
consuming stars for dinner.
Chaos demands one sacrifice;
shed the scales of order.
Now bash drums in the sea,
ignore warnings against barbequing on the beach.
Photo of Maxwell Bauman
BIO: Maxwell Bauman M.F.A. is Owner/ Editor-In-Chief of Door Is A Jar Literary Magazine, a print and digital publication now celebrating its 10th year. He is a contributor to Chicken Soup for the Soul. Maxwell is the Lead Editor of Aggadah Try It, an imprint of Madness Heart Press. He is the author of the Jewish horror short story collection The Revised Anarchist's Kosher Cookbook and the sci-fi/ fantasy novella The Giant Robots of Babel. His young adult bisexual romance novel, Gerald Ribbon and the Bird In His Brain was published by Deep Hearts YA. His Lego art has appeared on several episodes of Late Night with Seth Meyers: CORRECTIONS.