Craig Kurtz

​Craig Kurtz has vexed aesthetic circles since the 1981 release of The Philosophic Collage. Recent work appears in Dalhousie Review, The Madras Mag Anthology of Contemporary Writing, Sentinel Literary Quarterly, Sheepshead Review, and Tower Poetry; many others would just as soon string him up. He resides at Twin Oaks Intentional Community.

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                         The Levellers’ Song

We are the Levellers
and we have all the answers;
we’re going to liberate people
by making them all miserable;
we’re going to ban all sport and drink
and tell you what to read and think;
all city life is decadent
so we’ll make it non-existent;
we disapprove of theaters,
the beau monde and entrepreneurs;
the mere sight of the town’s smart set
gets us lusting for a gibbet;
we plan to plan human affairs 
and kick all dissent down the stairs.

We are the Levellers
and we’ll cure mankind’s errors; 
we’ll have nothing but farming toil
and eat raw food drenched in top soil;
because we’ll ban snuff and small beers
we’ll have good health to work more years;
we found the cure for poverty
is making you as poor as we;
we’ll have a state of martial law 
to quash all things we call bourgeois;
we all agree with our leader
says me, his top bottom feeder;
and never once will we complain 
because the ‘we’ is inhumane.


                    Honor Among Thieves

A DROLL FROM THE ALCHEMIST

DOLL:
We’re in this all together
‘tho we can’t stand one another;
the pelf is equal, it’s three cuts,
so what we hate each other’s guts;
our reputation’s on the line,
so unionize, or else be swine;
who cares what some novice believes,
team effort makes us better thieves.

FACE:
Cooperation’s our by-word,
we keeps our flimflams in accord;
fraternity preserves the peace
as we assess fresh gulls to fleece;
we run our gambits by the books
and that’s why we’re such classy crooks;
it’s true we don’t much get along,
but our cartel’s three times as strong.

SUBTLE:
We’re scrupulous with our ethics,
we’re principled in turning tricks;
we countenance by-laws and rules
for quality-controlling fools;
we certify gyps in escrow
with the better business bureau;
it’s all for one and one for us
with cheats three times as infamous.

DOLL:
We’re not here for a social call,
I’d just as soon poison you all;
but I respect contract and clause,
even skullduggery has laws;
we’ve all got swindles up our sleeves,
yet abide honor among thieves;
although we make each other retch,
tripartite better conies catch.