the joke – that’s what it was
stumbled on my lips
and died convulsing between cream and sugar
– ever polite, you looked away
and exhaled cigarette smoke
the waiter smirked –
only the seagulls laughed
then you drew a game of Hangman
on a napkin
so I could try my luck
you knew I’d never guess the word
James Thurgood was born in Nova Scotia, grew up in Windsor, Ontario, and now lives in Calgary, Alberta. He has been a labourer, musician, and teacher – not necessarily in that order. His poems have appeared in various journals, anthologies, and in a collection (Icemen/Stoneghosts, Penumbra Press). He is also the author of His Own Misfortune, a work-in-progress.