jokes, questions, sandwiches in jubilat

jubilat's sensibility is often curious, quizzical, interested in guessing, as poets frequently do— and I’ve been thinking, recently, about what guessing does to one's imagination — not only the acceptance of ‘not-knowing’ for certain, but also, and here I think, more importantly, the surprise-canvas of thin air.

In thinking about all the questions I am having to ask & answer recently, most of which have arrived in numerical form so as to accompany the end of the fiscal year, I’ve been glad to find a great wealth of wild guesses in the archives of jubilat.

First is a terrific poem by Jono Tosch, called "Thomas Merton", published in jubilat 21 and accompanied by a video I love very much, here ... in which we are dealing with questions like

Can a sandwich make another sandwich?

and lines like

I want to die in a nice delicatessen 
with all the lights off except for one,
the light on the bread.

...

Read the poem & watch the video.

—

 

Next is one of my favorite interviews in jubilat history— in December 2011, Matthea Harvey conducted a JOKE Q&A interview with then five-year-old Max Timchak in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. The full interview is available in jubilat 22 and online here ... and is providing us with all the answers.... to questions like...

Matthea: Why do shirts look so plain? 
Max: Because the people, they're hopeless. 

Matthea: Why is hair always grey?
Max: Because they're pumas.

Matthea: Why do alligators never wear sweatshirts?
Max: Because they have rectangle bodies. 

...

Read the interview.

—

 

Finally, I leave you with a few lines from "Should I learn a new language?", a poem by Rachel B. Glaser, for when one might feel like rejecting the requests of reality. 

SHOULD I LEARN A NEW LANGUAGE

by Rachel B. Glaser

No! I'm getting married on a boat in five minutes 
I'm having a baby on the table 
I'm elaborately renewing my vows 

...

Read the poem & watch the video.

 

 

 

 

FOR THIS & MORE: Subscribe to jubilat.  

Jono Tosch is a woodworker, artist, and poet who lives in Northampton, Massachusetts. He is the author of the chapbooks Under Sea (Chuckwagon Press) and Probably (Kendra Steiner Editions). You can find some of his non-poetry works on Etsy, shop name "orchardspoonworks."

Rachel B. Glaser is the author of MOODS, Pee On Water, and Paulina & Fran (forthcoming 9/1/15).

—

Compiled by Halie Theoharides, managing editor of jubilat.