Wednesday, October 27, 2021

The Knuckle sandwich

I went to see a doctor after eating 

Too many calzones.

The doctor told me to feast on a knuckle sandwich 

Pig, ox or horse are all worthy to suckle


Back home,  my wife was in a pickle

She couldn't find her favorite belt with a buckle

And I saw her chewing her knuckle!

"Margaret!" I cried

"Eat a sandwich" I insisted clear-eyed 

"Fuck you and your confort food" she replied

"I've been teething for 40 years and now I'm chewing

On this job offer 'cause you lost your job."

I knew I also had a bone to chew about our

Defaulted loan


Instead I decided to go outdoors and

Throw some stones

At Ruffy, our pooch, 

Known rather to hold dear 

Slurpy chewing of all things bones.














Chewy things

Saturday, October 9, 2021

The discharger







My title is ZSC, or Zoom spit controller.

I review and certify 72 to 80 spit tests a day

After 3 years of doing PCR nose swipes I was glad to be 

Offered this promotion

After all, my fingers started stiffening from tendonitis 

Turning the swabs 3 times to the left and then 

3 times to the right

(My first week I got slapped on the wrist for doing a swirl)

I tested so many noses I got callouses on my fingertips.









Today, in my executive chair I proudly sit with a virtual

Backdrop of 3,000 vials full of spit

It's a technique to encourage and give impetus to my 

Client-droolers

(We prefer spit over drool, if you ask.)

The virtual moments we share 

Are a sign of due diligence, scientific compliance and trust

There have been times a client over-spits

Ejects a loose tooth into the vial or

Under-spits, which is the worst.


Being at times thousands of miles away I cannot even offer my tweezer

To recover that tooth

"Just mail its in and we'll send you a picture from the lab" I chime, trying to smile and 

hide my own crooked teeth.


Vivaldi, Bob Dylan, Cardi B, you name it, music helps the spittle flow!

I got such good results from the Beastie Boys I sent the negative results to all my family.


It's a work of pride and its got me to appreciate

Young people who spit in the street or

Dogs drooling at the table or

Saliva discharging from an angry person's mouth.


Everyday now I consider a  precious day, and 

Spitting in my spittoon makes me feel like Kobe Bryant,

Going for the swish, or a WWII pilot dropping bombs from a Spitfire.


What's essential is that today I'm no longer spitting in the wind

I get emails from clients who thank me, sometimes years later.

And tomorrow I'm flying to Haifa for a personal spit test with a client

Who has green saliva so I'm bringing her a box of Godiva.