A Long Spoon

An old proverb says, “If you’re going to dine with the devil, make sure you have a long spoon.” The poems in A Long Spoon are about surviving our lunches with Lucifer, in spite of indigestion, high prices, and—occasionally—food poisoning. Each poem in A Long Spoon is a statement about this process. Our hero—so to speak—is a white middle-class male, growing up and older in Western America. We see him first as a Boy Scout; he passes through the 60’s as a college professor; he has children—and divorces; he ends up a married Mormon missionary grandfather. The poems are about his experiences, as he stumbles along, spoon in hand. The order is roughly chronological. A Long Spoon is a comedy of perseverance, in spite of sin, death, and stupid mistakes. Hopefully, these poems will console and enlighten readers whose lives are subject to the same realities.