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Butterfly Balloon by Alyse Bensel

April 1, 2012 Contributed By: Alyse Bensel

Opaline or starburst or emerald green—
descriptors for barbus or brochis or
gynmocorymbus. The bubble pump flares
sidefins and whiskers. Aquarium fish
appear as mechanical wind-up toys.
They troll the bottom of pop-rock gravel.
A floundering Butterfly Balloon Molly
performs a sideshow for the children
who muddy the clarity with their fingers
or cause underwater earthquakes with a tap
on the glass. Last night the catfish’s white
whiskers, illuminated fluorescent,
looked like the white of hot flames, licking
the sides of the tank, making water boil.

Return to table of contents for Issue 5 Spring 2012

Filed Under: Poetry Posted On: April 1, 2012

Further Reading

Japanese Tentacle Erotica
by Stephen Gibson

It’s possible to loathe and desire the same thing. What the heart wants isn’t simple. It’s complex. In graphic novels heroines beg for it to sting. It’s possible to loathe and desire the same thing. In storyboards, tentacles surround their necks. What gender do you think is doing the drawing? It’s possible to loathe and […]

Threeple, Tripple
by Kelly R. Samuels

            Cumbria: gentle sound made by a quick-flowing stream

The traffic always was just outside the bank of windows
                                      and down and could be heard
more than seen for the trees that spring and early summer.

MAYDAY Magazine: Issue 9 Summer 2015

NONFICTION David Kirby Photos by Barbara Hamby Cows and Wows: Why India Works Depite Itself and What We Can Learn from Its Example INTERVIEW Garnett Kilberg Cohen Interviewed by Okla Elliott Freshness, Craft, and Time   FICTION Jacob M. Appel Gable’s Whiskers David Armstrong Gracile Laurie Blauner The Solace of Monsters Garnett Kilberg Cohen Bad […]

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