FLASHBACK: At a Waffle House, Alice Simply Wanted Grits

in a bowl—hot! Dogs hissed

outside; cats barked about

who had prayed everything upside down

to become normal again.

Outside-cats barked about

like drunken cows

to become normal. Again

it rained milk

like drunken cows—

now inflated red & white balloons.

It rained; milk

drenched the queen of hearts,

now inflated red & white. Balloons

burst like rain clouds—

drenched the queen of hearts

with relish (smothered her). Also she

burst. Like rain clouds

in a bowl, hotdogs hissed

with relish—smothered her also, she

who had prayed everything upside down.

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John C. Mannone, three-time Pushcart nominee, has work in Inscape Literary Journal, Artemis, Town Creek Poetry and others. He has two literary collections, including Disabled Monsters. He edits poetry for Silver Blade and Abyss & Apex.