Gout
In the beginning,
the big toe
does most of the singing.
The whole foot can blow up, too,
getting to know you.
*
After years,
the little toe goes electric:
short intervals of merciless feedback.
*
Now three toes in the middle
slide wetly along the sharp pedal steel
of Confederate chawbacons.
Harrison Fisher has published twelve poetry titles since 1977, most recently Poematics of the Hyperbloody Real. He enjoyed a hiatus from writing and publishing for most of the 21st C. In 2026, Fisher has new work in ANTAE, BlazeVOX, Book of Matches, Exacting Clam, Hole in the Head Review, Misfitmagazine and several other magazines. He lives in upstate New York.