humble, humble matthew

by Steven Garrity

Despite having an inflated self-image, aov’s own Matthew Dorrell has neglected to gloat about having a poem published UPEI’s student creative writing journal, Annex 2000.

Matt’s poem, Selling Vacuums is funny and upsetting. However, like all geniuses he is falsely humble and unhappy with the bounty of his quill (that’s what old pens that smart people used are called). He claims that the published piece is “in many little pieces and I have not as yet discovered how to re-assemble them properly”.

The world won’t wait. Ladies and Genderless, an aov exclusive (sort of), the newly revised version of Matthew Dorrell’s Selling Vacuums, previously published in UPEI’s Annex 2000:

Selling Vacuums

“This is the fourth one this week,”
she growls, walking towards the door
and the insistent doorbell.

“I’ve had it with the preachers,”
she grumbles, wearing her lips downwards,
listening to the incessant dinging.

Opens the door,
shouts:
“Superstitious science-fiction folklore!”
Silence.
Closes the door.

Not sure of what has happened,
the man, grey-suited, opens the mailbox,
places the catalogue inside.

Turning, he walks to the next house.
The man, grey-faced, is sighing.
Perhaps this customer will buy.