by Martha Deed
In the belly of the whale
there are no flashlights
and on a starry night
no appendectomies
your have-a-happy-day surmise
is worth less than a slippery slope
of cream cheese and grape jelly on rye
which is why I love to go fishing in January
casting bread upon frozen waters
and waiting for whales on Seneca Lake
on Primary Day
Martha Deed's chapbook, 65 x 65, was recently published by Peter Ganick's small chapbook project (December 2006). Her poems have recently appeared in Shampoo, unlikelystories, 3by3by3, 21 Stars, and Iowa Review Web (with Millie Niss). Her website is www.sporkworld.org/Deed.