American Zen (Redux)
In the fingerprint-smudged
glass case
curved round like his belly
beside bobblehead Steven Tyler
and Mick Jagger
bobblehead Brittany Spears
and Madonna
the pop star not the religious
figur(in)e
surrounded by packs
of Zig Zag papers and pipes
too small to smoke tobacco
in
sits bobblehead Buddha
though the teenage cashier
didn’t know
his name and pointed
at every other nodding doll
bobblehead
Buddha with a huge $4.99 price
tag
stuck on his forehead
Antonio Vallone is an associate professor of English
at Penn State DuBois. He also teaches in National University’s
online MFA program. Editor of Pennsylvania English and publisher of MAMMOTH books, his own books are Golden Carp, The Blackbird’s Applause, Grass Saxophones,
and Chinese Bats. Forthcoming are American Zen (Redux) and Blackberry Alleys: Collected Poems.
