Brendan Stern

You know the rules, right? Three lines. Five syllables, then seven, then five again. I decided to write five of ’em because they say we will never understand each other until we reduce the language to 17 syllables. And yes, because this is 5tern.com.

ne

within the steel fences

a free, keen hand signs

whilst watching the eye 

white chocolate

no-look elbow pass

nobody like him ever

he played like he knew

to student

we were once alike:

certain, glib, wild-eyed, pompous.

and then i was mugged

sound and fury

we always extol

hands, eyes & community,

but is love enough? 

two thousand and twenty

who do you’ve got? 

that veteran in south bend 

knows seven languages.