NEW POETRY

HEMINGWAY FESTIVAL 2024

(photo c/o thinkstock)

the sun
also rises
was always
my favorite
book.
in the spirit
of going
to paris
at the end
of summer
i decided
to read it
again.
halfway thru
i slapped
the book
shut
and roared
all the way
back
to the 20s.
but it wasn’t
hemingway’s wit
that made me
laugh.
up until
now
his writing
seemed
intangibly
majestic.
for the
first time
i felt like
i could hang
in the ring
with him
punch
for punch.
maybe
not win,
but hang.
he was 26
when he wrote
the sun…
i’m 36.
but an
old bull
has just
as much
fervor
and perhaps
more danger
than a
young bull
when he’s
raring to go.

Ken Kakareka’s latest novel is Summer of Irresponsibility (Alien Buddha Press, 2023). His words have appeared or are on their way in numerous rags including Gargoyle Magazine, The Gorko Gazette, and A Thin Slice of Anxiety. A list of selected publications can be found at kenkakareka.com.