TENDING
Tend the garden
No need to do too much
It’s been planted
A little water
Here and there
And lots of light
Will do the trick
It’s been planted
It’ll grow
That’s what it does
No need to do too much
But tend it
And those weeds
No matter what we do
They rear their ugly heads
A little each day
Get down and pull
It’s been planted well
Now just tend
Maybe free up the soil
Let the roots get some air
Or move something
Somewhere brand new
A change of locale
Where things are sunnier
That often works
I know I’ve moved around lots
After planting
During tending
And not anything more.
WHO’S TO SAY
woke up today
the world i see
some sun not gray
a pretty day
i could be wrong
who really cares?
but could be right
well who’s to say?
slept great last night
had vivid dreams
walked through my past
it didn’t last
woke up and pondered
where i wandered
ain’t life grand?
well who’s to say?
who’s to say?
certainly not me
hey who’s to say?
them her or he
well who’s to say?
we sit in wonder
at this blunder
who’s to say?
wow you and me
we are so free
we live we laugh
we love we shove
we do the best we can right now
well who’s to say
it’s wrong somehow?
GRASP
i need more time
more time to reconcile my life
do all the things i want to do
all the things i said i would
all the things i should
i need more space
more space to be as big as i feel
to grow into what i see myself as
to stretch as far as i possibly can
to reach while i’m still able
grasping and pining
trying and more
sun up then down
go to bed out the door
more often than likely
the end is the case
to run out of time
even worse out of space.
OFF OF MY MIND
hey there
tell me you love me
you can’t live without me
you know that you want to
hey there
tell me you’re crazy
you’re thinkin about me
and never would doubt me
you know that you have to
a long strange road
this me knowing you
you can’t tell me not
you know you don’t need to
we’ve come this far
this me and this you
much too long a distance
so just tell me now
yes hey there
you hear how i’m feelin
i can’t live without you
who says that i have to?
hey there
you know that i’m crazy
i can’t get you off of my mind.
NEXT TO GOD
what would jesus do?
love thy neighbor as thyself
then be crucified
cause today the world
is filled with hate and violence
when jesus preached just love
not intolerance
not many have the patience
for what jesus said
about the meek and
pure inheriting the earth
and the peacemakers
and the merciful
and the poor in spirit too
jesus mentioned them
and he also said
those who are persecuted
for righteousness sake
will find a place in
the kingdom of heaven and
sit right next to god.
—
Pete Armetta is a new writer of Flash Fiction, Poetry, Short Stories and Essays. With a style that’s accessible and broad, his poetry and stories fend off conventionality.
He’s impossible to pigeonhole.
Pete’s a native New Yorker living in Charlottesville, VA, via too many other places to count. It’s a life of big sky and mountains and dogwoods and hawks. Of back roads and wood-burning stoves. It’s bourbon and mint from the garden in spring and swimming in the river in summer. Currently pursuing writing fellowships and residencies, Pete writes full-time, shedding that former button-down existence to fully embrace his craft.
You only live once right?
Pete’s work has been published or is upcoming in The Dead Mule School of Southern Literature, Inclement Magazine, Zest Literary Journal, Gadfly Magazine, The River Journal, Marco Polo Arts Mag, Expats Poetry, Subtle Fiction, Take It To The Street Poetry, Best New Poems, Cynic Magazine, Blue Lake Review, the Stone Path Review and numerous anthologies. His short stories have been regularly featured in The Piker Press. Pete’s first poetry chapbook, New Future was published by Lost & Found Press in 2012 and is free for the taking.
