The Art of Tetman Callis

cherries remind me of zachary taylor
old rough and ready, who accidentally killed himself one july day
through eating too many cherries, ripe and sweet

some say the pickles and ice cream didn’t help
it was independence day, at a time when slavery was an issue

man eats
god laughs

king john, so they say
ate too many eels, his favorite food
and they pretty much swam straight through him

some say it wasn’t eels, it was ale
or plums or peaches
divine justice or so they say
for his having lost the crown jewels in the river thames

not to mention that business with robin hood and the sheriff
and the lovely maid marian

she was a virgin (that’s unconfirmed)
and last i heard, god was still laughing

(Copyright 2023 by Tetman Callis.)