Image: Thomas Sutton, Tower Struck by Lightning, Saint-Ouen Bay, 1854.
Brad Rose ( Baby Teeth
Like a child actor, I’ve been released on my own recognizance. I’m re-creating a good impression. If I did it once, I can do it again. I realize however, that sometimes I’m sartorially confused, but who doesn’t love gothic bondage cyber trousers, especially with an 80s color pallet? Despite my celebrated anonymity, I’m confident I can win next Sunday’s sacrilegious popularity contest because I’m both sacred and profane. The human body is made up of about 40 trillion cells. Some think it’s a complex mystery, but really, it’s so simple, it operates itself. My idea of exercise is watching others run a marathon, but regrettably, if you want something done right, you’ve got to do it yourself, which is why, after that near-fatal accident at the alligator farm, I’m now the primary bread loser in our family. Who would have thought such devastation could result from the sudden deployment of baby teeth? Truth is, everything happened so fast, the victims hardly knew what bit them.
Brad Rose was born and raised in Los Angeles, and lives in Boston. He is the author of five collections of poetry and flash fiction: Lucky Animals; No. Wait. I Can Explain; Pink X-Ray; de/tonations; and Momentary Turbulence. His poetry collection WordInEdgeWise, is forthcoming. Eight times nominated for a Pushcart Prize, and three times nominated for the Best of the Net Anthology, Brad’s poetry and fiction have appeared in, The American Journal of Poetry, The Los Angeles Times, Baltimore Review, New York Quarterly, Lunch Ticket, Puerto del Sol, Clockhouse, Folio, Best Microfiction (2019), Right Hand Pointing, and other journals and anthologies. His website is www.bradrosepoetry.com. His blog is https://bradrosepoetry.com/blog/.