Somebody sent it here. We're no fans of poetry, and we usually take all submissions of poetry chapbooks and zine and grind them up for goat food. But on the off chance that some of our readers like poetry or zines (or both) we thought we'd describe it at least. It's called Cruel Garters, and it's published out of Bloomfield Hills. The editors describe their mission as to "publish in print both well-established & newer voices in a small, stripped-down publication that minimizes literary trappings and focuses on the work itself." On this count, the magazine is an unqualified success, an extremely simple package of a handful of poems in each of the three issues we received.
As for the poetry itself, we don't really feel qualified to talk about it. Here's a short one from the first issue by Michael Earl Craig entitled "Wild for the Lord"
Someone is sitting on a tall stool before me.
I have just very carefully cut my best friend's wife's bangs.
My watch feels like a small corpse on my wrist tonight.
Like it? Curious to learn more? You can send for the issue $2 postpaid from Cruel Garters, 39221 Woodward Ave., #107, Bloomfield Hills, MI 48304, or see the publication's website at cruelgarters.cruelgarters.com.
