Back in Kansas Dorothy is now
married to a man with half a brain
who she doesn’t have the heart
or courage to leave.
The ruby slippers hold no magic
in the state of Kansas and
once again Toto is her only friend.
The Wizard is barely getting by
guessing people’s weight
and reading recycled fortunes
on the local county fair circuit,
occasionally selling rides in his
recently repaired hot air balloon.
His crystal ball has run out of predictions
so he consults his tarot cards and
keeps his tattered suitcase packed.
On ominous summer afternoons
Dorothy hangs clothes on the line
with an eye on the weathervane.
Lynn Patrick Smith
Lynn lives in Madison, Wisconsin and is a singer/songwriter as well as a poet. He performs occasionally around the Madison area. His latest poetry collection is These Little Scenes from Fireweed Press. He has served as treasurer and regional vice president for The Wisconsin Fellowship of Poets.
Portage Magazine 