Gary D. Rhodes

COLD DISH

Upwards,
downwards,
the shovel
shovels.

Depths rise,
higher and higher.

Earth
unearthed.

Splintered coffin,
splintered mind.

Dirt, grime
on two.

Only one
stands.

In my fingers,
I collect him.


Gary's YouTube reading of "Cold Dish"


Gary confesses: "'Cold Dish' takes its name from the old saying about revenge being a dish best served at a cooler temperature. It reminds me of an old Irish saying, 'long runs the fox,' or Southern Gothic stories where one person takes their revenge decades later. The poem also speaks about grave desecration, a key taboo, and yet one that as a people we are willing to violate if enough time passes, whether that means opening an Egyptian tomb or plumbing the ocean depths to the Titanic."

GARY D. RHODES, a professor of Media Production, is the writer-director of a number of commercially-released documentaries, as well as the author of twenty nonfiction books on film history and the horror genre. His work has been favorably reviewed in The Hollywood Reporter, USA Today, Sight & Sound, Cineaste, Turner Classic Movies, and the E! Channel. His first novel, Offed, published in 2017, received accolades in The Huffington Post.