2 poems by J. Archer Avary

Monogamous Cockroaches

this must be love or 
     a predestined rite of biology
          these wayward insects collide
               a chance encounter in the dank mist
                    erupts in explosive sexual congress
                         the genesis moment of a lifelong union
                                this new life thrives amidst the decay
                         a ritual plays out in the nuptial gallery
                    the mutual act of eating their wings
               it cements the matrimonial bonds
          of flightless lovers ensconced
     together in true monogamy
cannibals mate for life

Even the Punkers love Versace

give us timeless thrills
gap years in Europe and Asia
let us see with innocent eyes
how the other half lives

hours wasted in transit
easily bored of the airport bar
we look for kicks in duty-free
doused in fine perfume

strangers become friends
we live out of these backpacks
freewheeling in the meanwhile
until we settle down

and when the era's over
memories fade like old paint
we develop expensive tastes
a thirst for the finer things


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J.Archer Avary is a chameleon, a product of his environment, a restless wanderer. In past lives he was a TV weatherman, punk rock drummer, champion lionfish hunter, and ocean conservationist. At age 44, he still doesn’t know what he wants to be when he grows up. Maybe a poet?
He lives on a tiny island in the English Channel and is the founding editor of Sledgehammer Lit.