R. Zamora Linmark

Plat Du Jour

All day 

Door shall remain open 

For tramps, strays,

Drifters and derelicts

To wander in

Invade this shrinking 

Studio 

Of grand ideas 

Bearing 

With them 

The day’s platter: Another 

Shortcoming

Or setback

Retrieved 

From personal archives 

Of A-grade flaws

Like yesterday’s royal blah 

Uneventful if not 

For Brueghel’s balloon—

Fish on ice

Perhaps today’s  

Penultimate fantasy 

Downgraded to meet 

Beckett’s endorsed failures

At this point

Everything’s up for grabs

Everyone

Is welcome: 

Homewreckers, provocateurs, 

Transgressors, guerrillas

Insurgents—all urged

To drop in

Refugees 

Undocumented

With or without papers 

Falsified or not

RSVP and dress code 

Not required

For this private revolution

Mores and morals too

Cocktails

Highballs, Everclear, Molotovs

Served as usual on the verandah

Rain, shine, or drought.

Witness

Keep disturbing the peace.

Trance-tremble to your heart’s content.

Check-in extra nightmares.

Premier suite preferred.

While awaiting reservation,

Pick up a bagpipe

Play with eyes closed 

Bach’s cantata. 

No choice

But to stay and witness.

How else to stir and wake

Each and every line.

R. Zamora Linmark has published three hybrid novels and four books of poetry. Forthcoming are Eh, No Talk Li'Dat, a multi-genre book about Pidgin English, and Dalamhati, a poetry collection.  His stage adaptation of Lois-Ann Yamanaka’s Blu’s Hanging will premiere at Kumu Kahua in 2026.