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      September 22, 2023The ‘B’ ListFrank Beltrano

      Boy, I could
      Be in trouble.
      Before I left
      By myself to go grocery shopping, we
      Built a list of what we need
      But on the way to
      Buy it all I
      Blundered, lost the list, don’t want to go
      Back, admit my error
      Besides it would
      Be a waste of time.
       
      Believe it or not, I remember everything, not a
      Billion items and all
      Began with a
      “B”. First up
      Back—
      Bacon enough for four sandwiches. You won’t have more than that, too fat.
      Bananas and
      Bagels for
      Breakfast
      Brussel sprouts
      Because we
      Both love your special recipe.
      Boil them a
      Bit. Add chili peppers, soy sauce.
      Butters—three
      Both almond and dairy, salted and not. Hot
      Barbequed chicken
      Blue cheese cuz it pleases you
      Black Diamond slices for me
      Brie for
      Both of us. A
      Brick of ice cream
      Blueberry pie, not sugar or pecan
      Because all the sugar reminds me
      Brown sugar, and
      Brown eggs from happy chickens
      Barn-raised maybe
      But also free to range
      But
      But
      But, am I forgetting something. Ah! A
      Broom. Not
      Big, small, more a whisk with matching
      Black dustpan to sweep up
      Bread crumbs and sesame
      Bagel seeds from the floor. What’s more
      Bags for the vacuum cleaner
      But, finally, not on the list
      Beautiful cut flowers, something we’ve missed.

      from #81 - Fall 2023

      Frank Beltrano

      Prompt: “A Two Sylvias Press prompt, entitled, ‘Make a list, baby!’”

      “Over the past couple of years I have probably written over 200 poems to prompts. I particularly love Peter Murphy prompts and prompts written by Two Sylvias Press. It’s not because I have a shortage of imagination or inspiration. I find that a prompt gives focus, and the more demanding the prompt the more rewarding the result. Also I imagine the writer of the prompt is listening, wants their curiosity answered, and becomes the person to whom the poem is written.” 

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