Constantine Pantazonis, a native Baltimorean, is pursuing a degree in Ancient History and intends to teach in Baltimore upon completion of his studies. Using ancient motifs and contemporary culture, Constantine's poetry focuses on social relations and the human condition.
Fall 2011
Table of Contents - Vol. VII, No. 3
Poetry Fiction Translations Reviews
Constantine Pantazonis
the little things that run the world
and then they built chicago
piled one nature upon the other
forests became two by fours
bison became cows
cows became steaks
and wheat became a golden stream
coursing through hoppers
filling boxcars, riding the rail
all aboard!
they altered time itself
according to the logic
and geography of capital
winter and summer, the tempo of life
saddled to the iron horse
they thought they could rule it all
but they were only paying rent
it's the little things that run the world
the molecular, the sub-atomic
microbes and mycelium
the syndicate of the small
that stretches like a skin across the planet
who know absolutely nothing about eastern standard time
or the price of pork bellies in the next fiscal year
i'm a lonely guy
but i did something about it
got an aquarium -- the whole shebang
pump, a plastic palace (with drawbridge)
one of those half-opened treasure chests
a little anchor -- you know
sea stuff -- nautical shit
i filled it with water -- purified water
ran it through one of those purifiers
activated charcoal
filtration, man -- filtration!
do it right or not at all
that's my motto!
anyway
i opened up a box of gortons
and watched the fish sticks float around
just so they could remember how it used to be
before they got parallelogrammed and breaded
it felt good to watch them in their natural element
swimming about without a care in the world
bumping into one another, like old friends
and i think that somewhere, someplace
deep in their tiny minced hearts,
that they liked me -- that they knew i cared
and suddenly, i wasn't lonely anymore
© Constantine Pantazonis
