Paul longs for when a botanist could roam
Amid the port-side taverns of his home
To hear the sailors talking of a flower
They saw abroad, and of this blossom’s power.
But now he’s roaming a convention center,
Stops at a booth, where he’ll politely enter
A conversation with a cheerful rep
Who has it all: both loyalty and pep.
Today their conversation hangs upon
A coat hanger you’d hang a sweater on,
But not about its form; its miracle,
The rep’s insisting, is material.
The stuff of which the coat hanger is made
Is eco-friendly, will biodegrade,
It also is sustainable. Of course
It represents the ethics of its source,
And all in all, it heralds a new day!
Paul eyes the hanger, as it’s on display,
Yet through the rep’s unshakable esteem
It looks like any other, but it’s green.
Then judging that the time for it is right,
Paul lifts the hanger and he takes a bite.
The rep, now facing the incredible,
Exclaims: “How did you know it’s edible?”
— Robert Donohue’s poetry has appeared in FreezeRay Poetry, Oddball Magazine, and Neologism, among others. He lives on Long Island, NY.