Snedeker_poems


Copyright	
  ©	
  2012	
  by	
  George	
  Snedeker	
  and Cultural Logic, ISSN 1097-3087	
  

Poems  
 

George Snedeker 
 
 

AMNESIA 
 

I awoke at 3 AM 
From a bad dream. 
I was a prisoner in a mental hospital. 
I could go from floor to floor, 
but could not escape. 
 
When I awoke 
I was in a state of amnesia. 
My mind would barely function. 
I knew I was in my bedroom, 
but little more than this. 
I felt my way around the room 
in the dark. 
 
I knew my name, 
but not who I was. 
I could remember things, 
but not what they meant. 
I thought for sure  
I was losing my mind. 
 
Nothing had any meaning for me. 
I thought that if I called someone 
and heard a familiar voice 
I would remember who I was. 
but it was the middle of the night. 
and there was no one I could call. 
 

 
YESTERDAY 

 
Yesterday,  
David fell asleep  
in his history class. 
 
His teacher  
called David’s father  
on the phone 
to complain.  



Georg	
  Snedeker	
  

Copyright	
  ©	
  2012	
  by	
  George	
  Snedeker	
  and Cultural Logic, ISSN 1097-3087	
  

2 

 
As a punishment, 
David’s father  
duct taped David 
to a chair  
for two hours. 
 
He told his son to smile, 
and snapped a picture of him 
that he had David bring to school 
to show his teacher. 
 
In the picture, 
David is smiling 
to show everyone 
how he was punished 
for his bad behavior. 
 
Now, he understands 
that it is wrong to fall asleep 
in his history class. 
 
 
GETTING MUGGED 
 
It was 2 AM 
I was on the last bus 
from Port Authority 
to New Brunswick. 
As usual, 
I sat in the back of the bus. 
 
I was wearing a new leather coat 
I had just gotten 
for Christmas. 
 
Two guys followed me off  
the bus. 
One held a knife  
to my throat. 
The other said, 
“Take off your coat.”  
I took it off 
and gave it  
to him. 
 



Georg	
  Snedeker	
  

Copyright	
  ©	
  2012	
  by	
  George	
  Snedeker	
  and Cultural Logic, ISSN 1097-3087	
  

3 

He took off the rag of a coat 
he had been wearing 
and gave it to me. 
 
End of story!