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John Dorsey

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A Long-Handled Spoon

the big lost river
is still your body

the old fisher king

there’s water
in idaho

the hand of god
exchanges rain.



The Desert

this town
a little good dirt

dad caught a train
into manhood
& jumped off.



Little Kids

stripped
moaning
hands in pockets
the shouts
the beatings

a wine jug
of hot win



In Pocatello

embree haunts the cold railroaders
stoned by local magic
a beer that no one touches.


John Dorsey lived for several years in Toledo, Ohio. He is the author of several collections of poetry, including Teaching the Dead to Sing: The Outlaw's Prayer (Rose of Sharon Press, 2006), Sodomy is a City in New Jersey (American Mettle Books, 2010), Tombstone Factory, (Epic Rites Press, 2013), Appalachian Frankenstein (GTK Press, 2015) Being the Fire (Tangerine Press, 2016) and Shoot the Messenger (Red Flag Poetry, 2017),Your Daughter's Country (Blue Horse Press, 2019), Which Way to the River: Selected Poems 2016-2020 (OAC Books, 2020), Afterlife Karaoke (Crisis Chronicles Press, 2021) and Sundown at the Redneck Carnival, (Spartan Press, 2022).. His work has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize, Best of the Net, and the Stanley Hanks Memorial Poetry Prize. He was the winner of the 2019 Terri Award given out at the Poetry Rendezvous. He may be reached at archerevans@yahoo.com.

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