(Today and tomorrow we are pleased to present the poetry of Bart Edelman)
Troublesome as it may be,
You need to hook the reader
At the very outset, my friend.
Connect on such a level,
The poor soul can’t avoid
Advancing to the next line,
And, hopefully, well beyond that.
Throw in a clever serpent,
Four blind cows on a couch,
Perhaps, a darling damsel,
Dressed in a turquoise smock.
Now you’ve hit your stride.
Take a break, if warranted.
Stroll around the block.
Gaze at the high tension wire.
Juggle all the possibilities.
Then return to reality—
You silly, little aerialist.
Here’s where the fun begins.
Consider the options available.
Connect each dot accordingly.
Breathe a magical sigh.
Put your puppy to bed.
Do what this poem hasn’t done.
Bart Edelman
Saragun Springs 
Hi Bart,
Clever, albeit jaundiced–and not incorrect–perspective of what a writer (or poet) does to survive from one story (or poem) to the next. I particularly liked the imagery of four blind cows on a couch! Well done, Bart!
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Bart
Whatever it means I’m glad you wrote it. That’s the best a poet can hope for; I’ve always assumed any aerialist refuses to think about missed grips more than s/he does falling. Great stuff.
Leila
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Bart
This piece strikes me as satirical and surrealist at the same time, with fresh images and metaphors which consider the act of writing from fresh angles. It changes its meaning upon successive readings, then changes back again when one reads it again. That is one sure sign of an original piece that has complexity. In the end, it points out that almost all writing fails miserably, which is probably a natural thing and very, very true! But this poem doesn’t fail. Thanks for sending your work to Saragun Springs.
Dale
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