Krylov the Fry Pan | M. Krochmalnik Grabois

My Russian cousin
will not tell me what’s happening
He wants to keep me in the dark
He fancies himself Dostoyevsky
or the famous magician
Krylov the Fry Pan
He won’t even tell me
why they call him that

He finally got a great girlfriend
really cute
cute as a chipmunk
but he’s thinking of selling her online
He likes the idea of being a Human Trafficker

Why would you even think
of doing something like that?
I ask him

He’s a distant cousin
but he’s got my nose
my jaw my eyes

He replies:
The one who grabs the rat by the tail–
he will get
the vacuum cleaner

Indian Review | Author | M. Krochmalnik Grabois is a regular contributor to The Prague Revue, and has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize | Literature & Poetry

M. Krochmalnik Grabois’ poems have appeared in hundreds of literary magazines in the U.S. and abroad. He is a regular contributor to The Prague Revue, and has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize, most recently for his story “Purple Heart” published in The Examined Life in 2012, and for his poem. “Birds,” published in The Blue Hour, 2013. His novel, Two-Headed Dog, based on his work as a clinical psychologist in a state hospital, is available from Kindle and Nook, or as a print edition.