The city's got her
in its walls and flames
in the sound flood water makes
under the streets and through the grate
Whisper "let's meet"
in the turns of phrases
in the toppling willow shade
Hold the dare in our mouths
touching our own ribs
making a careful crease
making sure
there's room for one
in here next to me.
july 27, 2010
The Sun Will Rise Fifteen Minutes Later
The sun will rise fifteen minutes
later than yesterday
And there are new tiny veins
that remind me of my grandmother
running around my calf
The temperature will drop three degrees, thank God,
in the next hour
And one afternoon will add to another
and add up to a friendship
Little dreams that are nothing more –
sorting a stack of books, making space –
will amount, eventually, to something.
Little lines that don’t seem to stick,
but fade, will amount -
the “and”s are there to connect them -
to something.
july 14, 2010
later than yesterday
And there are new tiny veins
that remind me of my grandmother
running around my calf
The temperature will drop three degrees, thank God,
in the next hour
And one afternoon will add to another
and add up to a friendship
Little dreams that are nothing more –
sorting a stack of books, making space –
will amount, eventually, to something.
Little lines that don’t seem to stick,
but fade, will amount -
the “and”s are there to connect them -
to something.
july 14, 2010
Blue Birthday Poem
My birthday is blue and white
a flagging sky not done turning,
a little tired of the effort
but drinking the wind
like gin through its teeth.
My birthday is a tee shirt, a skirt,
and hair as long as it's ever been
dusting dreams from the late morning.
My birthday is the matte envelope
a peony slides from
and the ceramic waves it glazes
blue and neon.
june 26, 2010
a flagging sky not done turning,
a little tired of the effort
but drinking the wind
like gin through its teeth.
My birthday is a tee shirt, a skirt,
and hair as long as it's ever been
dusting dreams from the late morning.
My birthday is the matte envelope
a peony slides from
and the ceramic waves it glazes
blue and neon.
june 26, 2010
Envelopes
How is the sun rise so different from its set?
How is one so opaque, dense with beginning
and the other like coloured tissue slipping,
complicated and spent?
One pours over a body, burying it
the other pours through it, sifting
lifting the worthwhile over the trees
and leaving just ash on a bench.
How do they repeat their concentration daily
never letting it seem like before?
july 3, 2010
How is one so opaque, dense with beginning
and the other like coloured tissue slipping,
complicated and spent?
One pours over a body, burying it
the other pours through it, sifting
lifting the worthwhile over the trees
and leaving just ash on a bench.
How do they repeat their concentration daily
never letting it seem like before?
july 3, 2010
Bird Lives
The moment before a frozen bird
leaves itself to the sidewalk
does it try its best
to look over its shoulder
at its folded wing
remembering how
it hurt as it grew
hollow filaments
strong enough to lift it over
the layers of day and night
Does it think
it was worth it?
july 3, 2010
leaves itself to the sidewalk
does it try its best
to look over its shoulder
at its folded wing
remembering how
it hurt as it grew
hollow filaments
strong enough to lift it over
the layers of day and night
Does it think
it was worth it?
july 3, 2010
Props
Show your teeth
and shock me
with a new sound
slipping off them
there's a bed post
in my old bedroom
there's a swing the
children abandon in
the heat of the weekend
there's a cigarette
in my drawer
that must taste
bitter as your skin.
These props we tempura painted
for the scenes I write
stand for flight
the reality our
faces encase
our words weigh
trying hard to believe what we
meant to pretend.
But that sound blinding me
in its secret
leaves us bare and
light again.
july 3, 2010
and shock me
with a new sound
slipping off them
there's a bed post
in my old bedroom
there's a swing the
children abandon in
the heat of the weekend
there's a cigarette
in my drawer
that must taste
bitter as your skin.
These props we tempura painted
for the scenes I write
stand for flight
the reality our
faces encase
our words weigh
trying hard to believe what we
meant to pretend.
But that sound blinding me
in its secret
leaves us bare and
light again.
july 3, 2010
Getting Away
The ants crawl over
a body but
it can't feel much
different than
the itch of a river
a coast
a field
flat as a runway
and the way they
disappear
without me.
july 3, 2010
a body but
it can't feel much
different than
the itch of a river
a coast
a field
flat as a runway
and the way they
disappear
without me.
july 3, 2010
Company
If only I were left
in the company of my toes
the little calluses of summer
the thirst behind my tongue
and behind my ear canal
the chimes of river light
the fading day
taking my concern for
whatever else there is
aside from my teeth on lips
clothes contrasting my skin.
july 3, 2010
in the company of my toes
the little calluses of summer
the thirst behind my tongue
and behind my ear canal
the chimes of river light
the fading day
taking my concern for
whatever else there is
aside from my teeth on lips
clothes contrasting my skin.
july 3, 2010
Creases
So like a child I
am intimidated
and amused, both,
by well-creased cynicism.
I can smile at it but
not open my mouth
It's so dry
my breath wouldn't
make a fog.
july 3, 2010
am intimidated
and amused, both,
by well-creased cynicism.
I can smile at it but
not open my mouth
It's so dry
my breath wouldn't
make a fog.
july 3, 2010
As Far As This Train Goes
As far as this train goes
as far as this night goes
it's 11:30 and that's as
far as this cigarette goes
a second drink will slow
a moment, the simple time,
into a material of love
pulling an hour into an
almost repeating pattern
leaves backlit to prove
place is as important as weather
for wandering shades to recognize
the bodies of one another.
july 4, 2010
as far as this night goes
it's 11:30 and that's as
far as this cigarette goes
a second drink will slow
a moment, the simple time,
into a material of love
pulling an hour into an
almost repeating pattern
leaves backlit to prove
place is as important as weather
for wandering shades to recognize
the bodies of one another.
july 4, 2010
Run Through
Doors askance
accidents
my pink once flushed
bones
try to ignore
the thrash of open doors
smearing recognition
under my skin
verving out of control
My bones shush
clatter colours
while doors and accidents
run me through.
july 4, 2010
accidents
my pink once flushed
bones
try to ignore
the thrash of open doors
smearing recognition
under my skin
verving out of control
My bones shush
clatter colours
while doors and accidents
run me through.
july 4, 2010
For Forgetting
The night threatened to give up
Before we did
The vines trailed
Thinking we’d come after
Conversation collapsed on the carpet
And the song lines stopped trying
To remind us of time.
july 4, 2010
Before we did
The vines trailed
Thinking we’d come after
Conversation collapsed on the carpet
And the song lines stopped trying
To remind us of time.
july 4, 2010
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