Steven Minchin’s most recent poem to appear here was The Erasure of Sunset (January 2014).

… This Is a Two-Man Tally Sheet
By Steven Minchin

This is a take on us as each other
This is an unmitigated volley of “well … you!”
As we pour flammable elixir down our union
To singe and win, to unravel and burn off the fizz
The shrink wrap round us; the packaged lips swing free

And bid on a hundred proof rejoinder
A match to see who could swallow who

This is a two-man score sheet
This is an unmitigated alteration in review
In a volley that crashes with rebuttal
As we pour out “well … you!” redactions
And attempts at defense: to up the tally and take our score

This is a score sheet added to a tally
That we’ve been running nightly

Again, out to set light the game
And add a streak on the proper side
With a shout twists turn marks our way
Tight dissent and discourse burn out the match
Then spark another–heated by a tally set like grooves in our heads …