Rattling Around

Visiting Rattle: Poetry for the 21st Century magazine today. I'm sharing part of a poem from Rattle, plus links to more at the bottom. I know they are already very busy (they receive 14,600 submissions a year), but it would be cool if Rattle started a section, either in their print or e-issues, of poetry for kids/youth.

~~~~~~~

The Fruit Detective
by Lola Haskins

On the table, there are traces of orange blood. There is also a
straight mark, probably made by some kind of knife. The
detective suspects that by now the orange has been sectioned,
but there is always hope until you’re sure. He takes samples.
Valencia. This year’s crop. Dum-de-dum-dum.

The detective puts out an APB. Someone with a grudge
against fruit. Suspect is armed and should be considered
dangerous. He cruises the orchards. Nothing turns up except a
few bruised individuals, probably died of falls.
A week passes. There are front page pictures of the orange.

No one has seen it. They try putting up posters around town.
Still nothing. The detective’s phone rings. Yes, he says. And Yes,
thanks. I’ll be right over. Another orange. This time they find
the peel. It was brutally torn and tossed in a wastebasket.
Probably never knew what hit it, says the detective, looking
sadly at the remains.

read the rest

More from Rattle:

* Dedication by Michael Meyerhofer
* Rules for Poetry by Rick Lupert
* Best of Rattle issue
* How to submit to Rattle
* Download e-issues

Elaine is our Poetry Friday round-up host today at Wild Rose Reader.