High Coup Journal - February 2011 Issue

(Photo by Ann Wright, Plymouth, IN)

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IN THIS ISSUE:

Sara Bickley (West Carrollton, OH)

Salvatore Buttaci (Princeton, WV)

Rosemary Foster (Bloomington, IN)

Antoine Hayes (Baltimore, MD)

Amanda Hillenburg (Sherbrooke, QC, Canada)

Megan Milligan (Las Vegas, NV)

Matt Tuckey (Manchester, England)

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Editor's Note:

Love is in the air.

That's right, airborne-- shit got real.

Call the CDC.

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Matt Tuckey

Silent Treatment

What is she thinking?
Her silence speaking volumes
How have I fucked up?


Serengeti

Hyenas scrounging,
Like ruthless, gathering flies
On rotting gazelle


All I Am

I am just a man
With a disability
I’m not a genius

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Salvatore Buttaci

married but at war,
once a year they declare a
valentine's day truce
    
 you promised me love
would mend my heart, but I was
treated and released



-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-


Rosemary Foster

Dearest professor--
I hope that's chalk on your crotch.
You're super creepy.



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Sara Bickley

Psalm thirty-nine, verse
eleven (or thirty-eight,
twelve) — two translations:


God is a clothes moth,
ravenous for wool; our lambs
are resacrificed.


God is a spider,
sucking back our gossamer,
spinning in reverse.



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Amanda Hillenburg

Single white preacher
Loves long walks by the fountain
Sluts need not apply


Show me your glory
And by that I mean titties
Care for my number?




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Antoine Hayes

Flawless*

I lack nothing, but
The ability to know
What I am lacking.

*from Hayes's 100+1 Haiku

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Megan Milligan

Freddie Mercury Haiku

Freddie Mercury
Overbite larger than life
Like his vocal chords.



Roadkill Haiku

Little dots of fur 
The side of the road littered 
With bunny pancakes



A Cold Haiku

Cold November wind 
Caresses my body like 
A rough lover 
  
Whispering tender 
Terms of endearment in 
My frostbitten ears.

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February 2011 AWESOME SAUCE: Matt Tuckey

The Gale

Hard wind bends the tree

Old man stoops, grips walking stick, 

Standing, defiant.

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Though we love you all,

we would love you even more

if you would put out.

highcoupjournal {at} gmail.com

High Coup Journal - January 2011 Issue

(Photo by Ann Wright, Plymouth, IN)

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IN THIS ISSUE:

Rosemary Foster (Bloomington, IN)

Edward Jones (Stevens Point, WI)

Julie Kelsey (Germantown, MD)

Hal O'Leary (Wheeling, WV)

Mitzi Sicking (Midland, TX)

Dariel Suarez (Miami, FL)

John Tustin (Flushing, NY)

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Editor's Note:

To weight loss and to

for once in our silly lives

making new mistakes.

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Mitzi Sicking

You failed your paper?

I cannot imagine why.

Oh deer, there, their, they're.

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Hal O’Leary

THE FAILURE.

 Let no man guess that

'neath this smiling face there lies

a forsaken man

LOVE 

 Truest love, a scarf

thrown loosely about the neck

but never stifling

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Rosemary Foster

Write Haikus in math

Wonder why I got a C

No correlation…

Uh, linear algebra

Can I have some numbers please?

No! I changed my mind

My dearest Vista

Please go die now stupid whore

Facedesking for real

Asshole family

Hey! Merry fucking Christmas

Go fall off a cliff

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John Tustin

I smoked the rose down

Until it became brittle

Until it was brown

Angels in my heart

Devils inhabit my soul

One guess who wins me

Naked in the snow

Numb and breathing hard and fast

It hurts like life does

You, like a painting.

I come up close. What colors!

What composition!

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Dariel Suarez

I would rather have

the salmon’s courage than a

Taoist belief.

-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-

Julie Kelsey

this makeshift sofa

so soft and comfortable

my fat snoring dog

finally, coffee

my mug – now cold – upended

the toddler’s cry

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Edward Jones

family photo

hangs perfectly straight, upright

right until I leave

in my rage, I toss

things indiscriminately -

yes, willy-nilly

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January 2011 AWESOME SAUCE: Dariel Suarez

Under the shade of

this tree, man will never find

enlightenment, just figs.

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A resolution:

write a haiku every day

and send them to us!

highcoupjournal {at} gmail.com

2010 Pushcart Prize Nominees

We are pleased to present our 2010 Pushcart Prize nominees:


Cal Clugston
Rosemary Foster
Amy Harris
Kim Keith
Vinnie Kinsella
Richard Stevenson

Congratulations to you all, and we're rooting for you!!

High Coup Journal - October 2010 Issue

(Photo by Ann Wright, Plymouth, IN)

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IN THIS ISSUE:

Rosemary Foster (Bloomington, IN)

Michael Frissore (Oro Valley, AZ)

Amy Harris (West Lafayette, AZ)

Amanda Hillenburg (Sherbrooke, QC, Canada)

Kevin James (Terre Haute, IN)

Ethan Mandelkern (Mt. Shasta, CA)

Darcy McMurtery (Seattle, WA)

Christina Rodriguez (South Ozone Park, Queens, NY)

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Editor's Note:

In just a few weeks

these leaves will become more red 

than my poetry.

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Christina Rodriguez

puppy love, dear youth
lost in the shuffle of mort-
gages and children.


start off slow, they say.
take your time...time? when did time
give out luxuries?

Daddy, are you too

old for cupcakes and poems?

Too poor for Hallmark.

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Ethan Mandelkern

wet peach tastes yummy
succulent soft beautiful
damn juice stained my shirt

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Kevin James

LOOK PAPA! NO HANDS!
words you never want to hear
at a porno set


boxes vibrating
turns out it wasn't sex toys
worst birthday ever

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Rosemary Foster

Call him “she” again
And I’ll break your fucking face
Did you get that bitch?

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Amanda Hillenburg

Laser gun bullets

Three shots missing the mallard

Want to kill that dog

God! It's full of stars!
My bad, it's just dust buildup.
Play that cartridge flute!


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Amy Harris

Sweet Malaria
Fair maiden of the tropics
Once bitten, twice shy

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Darcy McMurtery

A guarantee of
long-winded discussion: I’ve
Prepared a few words.


Keep your speeches short
We can still strangle you with
A wireless mic.


Personalities
Around a board room table
Like oil and water.


A workplace romance
Will poison your well so please
Don’t shit where you eat.


Writer's Block

I can't pass a verb,
completely consonated,
must move a vowel. 

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Michael Frissore

Haiku: True Story

This guy was pissed off
by my humorous haikus
Well, fuck you, buddy.


-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-



October 2010 AWESOME SAUCE: Christina Rodriguez

Hello denial...
Don't you look pretty today
in your coat of lies!

-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-


Tell the bogeyman
that you've sent in some haiku
or he will eat you.

highcoupjournal {at} gmail.com

High Coup Journal - August 2010 Issue

(Photo by Ann Wright, Plymouth, IN)

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IN THIS ISSUE:

Joseph Carfagno (Fairfield, CT)

Andy Cognata (West Lafayette, IN)

Michael Frissore (Oro Valley, AZ)

Rosemary Foster (Bloomington, IN)

Amy Harris (West Lafayette, IN)

Kim Keith (Gold Canyon, AZ)

Lisa McClintock (Sheridan, WY)

Ray Scanlon (Rehoboth, MA)

Don Thackery (Dexter, MI)

Maggie Wheeler (Terre Haute, IN)

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Editor’s Note:

Despite moving north,
August still feels hot as hell

in Grandma's attic.

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Maggie Wheeler

Round Kick to the jaw

Crazy bitch knocked me out cold.

Concussions suck ass.

The cat stares at me

With fish running through his brain.

Duh, I just fed you!

-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-

Lisa McClintock

A message sent, not

really meant. Too late now for

feeble excuses.

-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-

Kim Keith

In Need of Salvation (and a Podiatrist)

My feet have callused

cracks, so I worry about

my immortal sole.

Taste Test

Murder on a bun

or bean-curd-veggie-burger?

The cows win—and lose.

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Rosemary Foster

So friggin' tasty

Freshly slaughtered pineapple

Bleed into my mouth

Rain steaming concrete

Washing my dirty skin clean

Born again again

Shit closed captioning

How dare you crap out on me

My deaf ass needs you

-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-

Michael Frissore

Changing Diapers

The difference between

Comedy and tragedy?

Being peed on and...

-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-

Amy Harris

Gas stations pepper

A great divide too wide to

Conquer or enslave

-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-

Joseph Carfagno

Stalled in the hallway

Thinking my murderous thoughts

No weapon at hand

AM Consonance

Radio actor speaking

Tires or tooth repair

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Don Thackery

conceive an image

write three lines to make haiku

trivial pursuit

spring rains make roots wake

birds return for the warmth’s sake

my dry old joints ache

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Andy Cognata

Flordia is hot,

A grave for the unprepared.

Ice cream is God's love.

-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-

Ray Scanlon

Clothesline

Clothesline in March breeze,

cotton breathes wintry freshness.

Spider in my shorts.

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August 2010 AWESOME SAUCE: Kim Keith

Forgotten

You ask for my name

as I call you Grandfather—

Alzheimer’s stole it.

-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-

Send in your haiku!

September is coming soon,

right along with school.

highcoupjournal {at} gmail.com

High Coup Journal - July 2010 Issue

(Photo by Ann Wright, Plymouth, IN)

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IN THIS ISSUE:

Rosemary Foster (Bloomington, IN)

Marti Fuerst (Rapid City, SD)

Quinn Gilbert (Shelburne, VT)

Jacob Glenn

Aaron Owens (Terre Haute, IN)

Eli Van Sickel (Terre Haute, IN)

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Editor’s Note:

A time for new things,
like picking a new ice cream
or dropping the soap.

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Jacob Glenn

Feb. 23

balloon removal
can i borrow your blow gun?
goodbye helium

Feb. 23

oh my sweet coffee
make me a jitterbug pro
my blood is creamy

Jan. 19

I sip my coffee
say goodbye constipation
my bowels are moved

Jan. 19

such a peaceful rain
I do value your effort
but my grass is dead

-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-

Aaron Owens

Tryst

Debbie can’t find out.
Long. Firm. White cream fills my mouth.
Gotta love Twinkies.

-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-

Marti Fuerst

Mucus advances
seizing nasal passageways.
I wave white Kleenex.

Dog barks at darkness.
Alarm must be on the fritz.
Cyborg-vet needed.

Take solace in that
when the zombies rise to feed
these dopes will die first.

-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-

Eli Van Sickel

Submitting this work
For your consideration
Please show me some love

Dog shit and flowers:
Two things that smell different
-ly to me at night.

-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-

Quinn Gilbert

Signal from a Shattered Earth

Last vestige of us:
You the plumber?...Yeah babe, I'm
Here to lay some pipe.

Life

This is my treatise
on life, and it’s pretty deep:
Alarm clock rings…Fuck.

-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-

Rosemary Foster

Hearing you have sex
Makes me want to fucking puke
So please mom shut up

OMG goth kids
Scary ass mother fuckers
Done up like corpses

Public swimming pool
Chemical filled oasis
Bikini clad whores

I know it says to
taste the rainbow but could you
stop licking my shirt?

-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-

July 2010 AWESOME SAUCE: Aaron Owens

The Little Boy’s Nightmare

Surrounded by balls

A dozen sweaty bodies

Trapped in the “Ball Pit”

-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-

Send in your haiku!

August won't just write itself

(unless I'm on crack)!

highcoupjournal {at} gmail.com