Hell (from The Fall, Camus, tr. Justin O’Brien)

I am an immaculate skeleton.

I smell of dead leaves
and furniture wax.

I prostitute gulls
with the help of alcohol.

Tosser (from The Odyssey of Homer, tr. Richmond Lattimore)

I hope my wife is not too drunk yet:
she has the only key to the house.

John Peck is co-editor of Beeswax Magazine and is currently on tour with his band, American Steel. This morning he woke up in the van with the idea of printing shirts that say DEAR LOCAL COLOR: PLEASE REFRAIN FROM GAWKING AS WE ATTEMPT TO SHORE UP YOUR FRAGILE REGIONAL ECONOMY.