What kind of chores would you have to do if you lived in a castle with dragons and bats and unicorns? How can burping help save lives? Why does a dragon get lonely? What's the best part about a scary ride at the amusement park? All these questions and more are answered in "What's Under The Bed?" It's a collection of fantasy, science fiction, and verrrry mild horror poetry composed by three-time James Award winner MonkeyJohn [aka John Bushore] and illustrated by Teri Santitoro, Erin Donahoe, Sandy DeLuca, Marcia Borell, and Jennifer Cawthorne. It's for younger readers of ages 8 to 80. No bad language, no "adult" themes, just good fun...and a few things to think about.
Excerpt
Under the Bed
There's a creature under my bed,
a razor-fanged Dust Crocodile.
And no, I haven't bumped my head;
this things been there quite a while.
You'll never catch it out, no way,
'cause it's much too smart to be seen.
It's uncommonly shy, I'd say,
for something so scaly and green.
Don't tell the secret, you'll spoil it,
but I'll tell you just where it's been.
It slithered out of the toilet.
It's been under my bed since then.
So you might think I would worry,
when sometimes I dangle my feet.
But I show toes without hurry -
it doesn't eat kid's feet for meat.
Sort of rare for a crocodile,
it prefers an unusual treat.
Snapping teeth in a great big smile,
dust bunnies are all it will eat.
If you tend to believe romantic, passionate, masculine poetry is a thing of past eras, read "She Intrigues Me," and be swept away in the beautiful craft of a contemporary poet of love.
Robin Ouzman Hislop's poetry is certainly in dialogue with some of the key architects of the 'poetics of indeterminacy' – both the Modernist strands represented by the likes of Beckett and Stein, and the postmodernist strands represented, initially,
