The Gorko Gazette

Daily Humor

thegorkogazette

6.1.2026 7:01 AM

While Walking by the Corner Store, I Overheard a Couple of Drug Dealers Talking About Drone Strikes and 2 more by Justin Karcher

While Walking by the Corner Store, I Overheard a Couple of Drug Dealers Talking About Drone Strikes

Several empty Blue Moon bottles were scattered
on the ground. For a moment, I allowed myself
to imagine a desperate amateur astronomer filling up
his addiction with the night sky. I remember one time
I described the yellow-orange streetlights as looking
like crab cakes, but nobody understood what I meant.
I suppose I was admitting how much I’ve fucked up.

Driving Into Tucson, Some Strung-Out Tinker Bell Weaves Between the Cars

The blue glittery wings attached to her backpack
try to spread wide but they can’t. Behind her
cacti flip the world off while missing mothers
fade from billboards, and I start thinking about
the trap house that burned down on my block
when I was a kid. All that remained were rats
that missed the warmth of the fire.

The Kids Are Taking Apart a Player Piano Like They’re Dissecting a Frog

One of them holds up the heart, and you can see
songs sputtering into obscurity next to the overpass.

I remember when 9/11 happened.
My guitar lesson got canceled
and ever since, I can’t carry a tune.

It’s okay, because you learn to flex
your muscles in different ways.

When robber barons hop over the bushes
into your backyard, you be sure to crack
a glass teapot and make sure the shards
carve out new fairytales.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Justin Karcher (Twitter: @justin_karcher, Bluesky: @justinkarcher.bsky.social) is a Best of the Net- and Pushcart-nominated poet and playwright from Buffalo. He is the author of several books, including Tailgating at the Gates of Hell (Ghost City Press, 2015). Recent playwriting credits include The Birth of Santa (American Repertory Theater of WNY) and ‘The Buffalo Bills Need Our Help’ (Alleyway Theatre). https://www.justinkarcherauthor.com