Our sweaty, gritty legs A-framed the air: the rocks under our boots fell away in graceful jags towards the creek; tree roots, freed locks, exposed and hoping; tufts of wildflowers snatch our gulping eyes and lead them to the water. In silver foam and bubbled streaks, the water joyous coursed the creek. Split to waterfall [...]
Use real butter, my Nana urged, Or better yet, dripping if you’ve got it; Don’t waste your time with that plastic crap And as for that spray-on stuff — forget it. My mother ate fresh butter all her years, And only when she was ready did she stop humming. Margarine, now that is nasty, factory [...]
I take these warming, crimson strips And slice them open, belly-first. Flick out the white eggs with a deft knife-tip, Neutering the slim fruit’s fiery curse. Thus eviscerated, these red candles, Are turned and turned and minutely diced; I move them carefully with slim green handles And make sharp red sparkles with the flesh I’ve [...]
Hateful season, get out of me! I miss the winter yet: the fine lace of bare-limbed trees, waiting patiently for leaves. What can you offer? Winter gave finest icework, lacing chill: mittens; hard stars, spiced wine; the lake grey, the air and sun fire fine. Damn you spring, you seductive bitch, Pushing winter aside; barefoot [...]
The air around me is thick with poems, But — be careful — not all of them are mine; If I catch the wrong one and try to work it, Behold the wooden rhymes! The poor captured poem, justly protesting, Scatters feathers and obscenely shrieks, If I force it through my misappropriating pen And deny [...]
To travel home is biting sweet At first a sense of delicious relief that everything is the same; and then the creeping, minor strange that reminds you nothing escapes change. The corner tree has begun to wither, Or the cat has a new limp; the dog no front tooth; There are grey hairs, lines, spots [...]
There is upon my desk a folded paper, Curved messily, shambily, over itself, Which awaits my next free attention gap, Whose grey-on-grey action promises a wealth of irrelevant data, recent facts; And pointless news of ill-justified fame. A shuffled bucket of Stuff That Happened: some four hundred pages, not including travel home cooking fame fortune [...]
Flawless Euclidean curves Sit smoothly against my rough palm. The taper head and bulbed base roll against my chapped fingers. Fruit of feathers: I enjoy you briefly: I must destroy you utterly. I shatter, crush; wrest open your roof and reveal the plump gold floating in its tiny virgin sea. In wrecking you, In this [...]
Table (i will conceal you needn’t hear how fearful i am and have always been that she will go) for two please? Absolutely right this (another couple i think i will be sick again) way. By (my god she’s beautiful how can she want me) the window is fine. Can I get you (never me [...]
How I wish we were more like they are. We’d probably enjoy it here more. I could be perfectly straight and tall, From scalp to manufactured dagger heel, A semi-colon, or comma, for rounded rear entry, And my mouth a shiny, dog-dick-red seal. You could be bricked and square, a wedge, All brutish, buffed and [...]
