Tomorrow is Another Song

Scott Wannberg

tomorrow is another song, our second collection from California kamikaze poet Scott Wannberg, again edited by Henry Mortensen. Once more Scott challenges and delights us, burning all flags, distilling them into long flashes of slow-glowing lightning. Quoting from Exene Cervenka’s introduction, “In the corner of the kitchen where bad children have to sit facing the wall with soap scraped against their teeth, a ray of sunshine shines down on each and every one of them, offering hope… In his intricate way, Scott has simplified and explained and taught and saved.” And, as Ed Harris puts it, “His poetry can be political, polemical, personal, provocative, and it shies away from cheap alliteration. His work is contemporary and timeless, brave and honest, and fun as hell to read.”

All The Saddle Tramps Sing Pagliacci

Hootenanny finds your hiding place,

pulls you out into the sun by your right arm.

You’d rather dig more deep.

Hootenanny hands you a wicked shovel.

Get to it.

Mankind flosses.

Keep the bacteria at bay.

Smile for the history books.

What? You forgot about the history books?

They got shelves of them waiting for your name.

Lady Luck wants to bring down the ticket price:

the scalpers, the rage…

Walter Brennan sings Pagliacci.

All becomes clear.

Today, the nation that is you

declares a holiday.