Graham Duncan is an alumnus of Lander University in Greenwood, South Carolina, and a graduate student at Converse College in Spartanburg, South Carolina. While at Lander, he was awarded the 2017 Margaret M. Bryant Award, and his poetry was recently featured in “South Carolina’s Best Emerging Poets.” He currently serves as a staff writer and editorial assistant for Lander’s alumni magazine, and can be reached at ghduncan001@converse.edu
Familiar Tunes
My music teacher,
during class changes,
would quietly hum a tune
to herself and passersby—
or whistle it through
her nose, rather.
A familiar one,
though I still can’t
think of where
I’ve heard it before.
I have a song stuck
in my head.
How do I get it out?
“Well, that depends,”
she said.
“Do you like it?”
Stains Incurred from our National Pastime
Enjoying a ballgame one
sunny Saturday afternoon,
I take a bite of my hot dog
being careful not to
drip mustard onto my
new white shirt, while
a heavy-set lady
seated behind me
leans forward and
whispers into my ear
“Mitt Romney hates women.”