Jack Chelgren
From The Spite House
YOUR ITEM IS ON ITS WAY
It rolled and rolled over
It wouldn’t lie down
It refused to get held up
It agreed to the costs
It awoke in a hamper
It grew in a glut
It left the vents open
It passed time on lots
It scratched up its casing
It came in over scale
It jostled arrhythmically
It brushed the screen door
It let you select it
Then it let you feast
It could go on unopened
But never unoptioned
It would still be a messenger
It would field more requests
It plateaus at mid-distance
It soups up your screen
It pops in the ozone
It goes how it went
When it finished
It answered
It opened
It snug
It fermented
It waited
It guessed you
It rung
It wouldn’t lie down
It refused to get held up
It agreed to the costs
It awoke in a hamper
It grew in a glut
It left the vents open
It passed time on lots
It scratched up its casing
It came in over scale
It jostled arrhythmically
It brushed the screen door
It let you select it
Then it let you feast
It could go on unopened
But never unoptioned
It would still be a messenger
It would field more requests
It plateaus at mid-distance
It soups up your screen
It pops in the ozone
It goes how it went
When it finished
It answered
It opened
It snug
It fermented
It waited
It guessed you
It rung
. That owner is a landlord “ ”
.. That renter is a landlord “ ”
... That seller is a landlord “ ”
.... That broker is a landlord “ ”
..... That teacher is a landlord “ ”
...... That lawyer is a landlord “ ”
....... That doctor is a landlord “ ”
........ That scholar is a landlord “ ”
......... That coder is a landlord “ ”
.......... That plumber is a landlord “ ”
........... That RN is a landlord “ ”
............ That punk band is a landlord “ ”
............. That critic is a landlord “ ”
.............. That shrink is a landlord “ ”
............... That biologist is a landlord “ ”
................ That clerk is a landlord “ ”
................. That museum is a landlord “ ”
.................. That artist is a landlord “ ”
................... That canvas is a landlord “ ”
.................... That day spa is a landlord “ ”
..................... That dead spy is a landlord “ ”
...................... That warlord is a landlord “ ”
....................... That voting station is a landlord “ ”
........................ That warden is a landlord “ ”
......................... That clinic is a landlord “ ”
.......................... That morgue is a landlord “ ”
........................... That landfill is a landlord “ ”
............................ That daycare is a landlord “ ”
............................. That toddler is a landlord “ ”
.............................. That podcast is a landlord “ ”
............................... That humor is a landlord “ ”
................................ That romance is a landlord “ ”
................................. That gene code is a landlord “ ”
.................................. That old friend is a landlord “ ”
................................... That wisdom is a landlord “ ”
.................................... That no one is a landlord “ ”
..................................... That hormone is a landlord “ ”
...................................... That illness is a landlord “ ”
....................................... That deadline is a landlord “ ”
........................................ That neurosis is a landlord “ ”
......................................... That collar is a landlord “ ”
.......................................... That headlock is a landlord “ ”
........................................... That handhold is a landlord “ ”
............................................ That analogy is a landlord “ ”
............................................. That and / or is a landlord “ ”
It all has to stop
.. That renter is a landlord “ ”
... That seller is a landlord “ ”
.... That broker is a landlord “ ”
..... That teacher is a landlord “ ”
...... That lawyer is a landlord “ ”
....... That doctor is a landlord “ ”
........ That scholar is a landlord “ ”
......... That coder is a landlord “ ”
.......... That plumber is a landlord “ ”
........... That RN is a landlord “ ”
............ That punk band is a landlord “ ”
............. That critic is a landlord “ ”
.............. That shrink is a landlord “ ”
............... That biologist is a landlord “ ”
................ That clerk is a landlord “ ”
................. That museum is a landlord “ ”
.................. That artist is a landlord “ ”
................... That canvas is a landlord “ ”
.................... That day spa is a landlord “ ”
..................... That dead spy is a landlord “ ”
...................... That warlord is a landlord “ ”
....................... That voting station is a landlord “ ”
........................ That warden is a landlord “ ”
......................... That clinic is a landlord “ ”
.......................... That morgue is a landlord “ ”
........................... That landfill is a landlord “ ”
............................ That daycare is a landlord “ ”
............................. That toddler is a landlord “ ”
.............................. That podcast is a landlord “ ”
............................... That humor is a landlord “ ”
................................ That romance is a landlord “ ”
................................. That gene code is a landlord “ ”
.................................. That old friend is a landlord “ ”
................................... That wisdom is a landlord “ ”
.................................... That no one is a landlord “ ”
..................................... That hormone is a landlord “ ”
...................................... That illness is a landlord “ ”
....................................... That deadline is a landlord “ ”
........................................ That neurosis is a landlord “ ”
......................................... That collar is a landlord “ ”
.......................................... That headlock is a landlord “ ”
........................................... That handhold is a landlord “ ”
............................................ That analogy is a landlord “ ”
............................................. That and / or is a landlord “ ”
It all has to stop
Biographical Statement
Jack Chelgren is a writer from Seattle now living in Chicago. He is an editor at Chicago Review and a PhD student in English at the University of Chicago. Recent poems have appeared in Blush and 'Pider; new work is forthcoming in Bedfellows.