POP ART: AN ANTHOLOGY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA POETRY Featuring Steve Goodyear, Jane Hilary, April Jones, Robert Lanphar, Heather Autumn Love, Gabriella Miotto, Danielle Mitchell, Edward Obuszewski, Jessica Patapoff and Daniel Romo Editor: Michael Miller ISBN: 978-1-4507-0799-2 $15.00 Moon Tide's third anthology, Pop Art features ten writers who were personally chosen by established poets from around Southern California. Michael Miller, Ricki Mandeville, Mindy Nettifee, Lee Mallory, Steve Ramirez, Kate Buckley, Ben Trigg, Carine Topal, Eric Morago and G. Murray Thomas not only hand-picked the poets for inclusion, but also wrote forewords to introduce their work. This collection also features an eye-popping cover by professional artist Chris Miller.

What I Learned From Cartoons

By Heather Autumn Love

When you walk off the edge of a cliff, never look down.

Fear not guns or dynamite.
If bombed, simply pull your nose and mouth
back to the front of your face.

What you truly have to fear are anvils dropped from the sky.
They can strike at any time.

Pants are not required,
but men should wear a shirt.

When suffering from depression,
always carry a banjo
(or else you will only be visited
by bears obsessed with honey).

While hunting a mouse,
a cat can devise elaborate means of murder.
None will succeed.

Mice move fastest when wearing a sombrero.

If you are searching for meaning in your life,
find something to chase.
You may choose a beeping desert bird,
a bear picnicking with his miniature friend,
or a sarcastic rabbit ever chomping on a carrot.
Your quest will fill every moment of your day.

But when your feet are inevitably met by empty air,
keep your head locked forward.
Resist the urge to cast your eyes to the ground,
for that is when you’ll fall.