the great wild cow bound me to both of them
—at first I was all thick hair—barley
dragged through mud—I ran with gazelles ate
grass drank rivers—I wasn’t there when
he crushed what could have eased his final
journey—stupid I know but I would
have shared what strength I could gather if
—but I was gone by then—and when that
shining lady tried to claim my friend
—I tore off part of her great bull—flung
it at her crown—missed—the streets slipped with
gore—we’d won the fight—but then sickness—
his face rained by my side for days until
a worm dropped from my nose to the dust
Tag: hair
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But when you’re young and dream of
escaping narrow Westchester
for exotic New England. But
before summer was over we
were. I returned carrying somecigarettes, Sometimes I Wish I
Was a Pretty Girl, your hand-drawn
map to the clitoris, and when
I think of your face that one dayhair bright honey light your smile our
world holding your hand through the years
hoping something might fit like thatonly better. But the dusty
manuscripts, the unicycle,
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I dreamt about you last night old bitch
I was skipping work almost enough
to almost feel guilty then later
or was it before I was on
vacation and knew I didn’tdeserve any of it and as I
wrote to myself the best poems are still
to come each word spread to a red-black
blob maybe there was a hair betweenmy golden tines I know you had your
reasons I had mine and for a while
we were the villains in each other’sstory but what does it matter now
you’re dust and I’m the next best thing
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Fragment 23
I want to take a break and I think that helps. One thing that’s been irritating me this week is a case of cracked lips.
why do you ask oh I see well yes that’s fair maybe that should be my catchphrase but in that tree no that one over there you’ll see the bird that stole a jewel from your hair you assumed you’d never see him again but that tiny hat is unmistakeable unless things have taken another strange turn in the woods I suppose nothing would be too surprising these days but you’re right we should pretend not to see him we don’t want any trouble this forenoon so here we come to the stone ruin the information plaque is badly faded
I think they got chapped or maybe sunburned? I can trace it to when we were eating outside at Valencia last weekend. I had the sun on my face for the whole meal. I don’t know if that’s what did it but that was the last time I remember not
but we can make out a date from the last century and something about a fire and a great experiment that’s mostly the story of all of our lives isn’t it if only there were something steady to stand on instead of these slimy rocks but then beneath they work day and night perfecting pestos and symphonies guarding eggs and their tender young they scatter when the rock is lifted though I know we won’t do anything quite so cruel today will we I can see that glint in your eye when you’ve had your last cup of tea and
the dog is curled up snoring beside you when the world seems a word of calm between breaths and pick up your book while we wait for the apocalypse that is taking its sweet time think of that person whose death will give you wings but if we don’t find that inspiring perhaps we can review the correct pronunciations of the latest drugs and open that box they asked us to keep safe and sealed what’s the worst that could happen of course it’s just a slight song from the dinky walnut deep inside your brain or deep inside the
forest which is the analogy we’ll use for your mind brain included at no cost though skip the extended warranty if you oh you have money to burn well burn away who am I to stop you I just feel so tired so unable to there comes a time when you think perhaps the rotten floorboards should be replaced before we lose another guest in a sudden collapse and have to clean the carpets yet again I know we should have dealt with it centuries ago but time being what it is and our hands what they are the moment
having a problem with my lips. I’ve tried to use some lip balm a few times but I don’t know how much that really helps.
[And click here if you’d like to take the plunge.]
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back from the moon again this icicle laughter in my hair
(First published in Heliosparrow.)
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This bullet is for you he said and poured another drink. Of course when the robots take over no one will notice. Har har gulp. But should I really tell you about the feeling that came over me one day vast as the sky while I watched insects swarm a red mass of hair and bone by the side of the road. If only. The day was hot and he had just been forcibly removed from office so we thought we’d throw a little party. Little did we know that her speech would sour the whole thing and make each of us long for the home we would never see again tucked into the side of a mountain where dogwood blooms and that little pond with so many frogs in spring. But that’s the way it goes. When they bring it out you try to eat with a smile.
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at the organic cafe unsure of your unwrinkled hands scraggly long hair scraping fine features the constellations of pimples your rough shirt dark stained apron standing tall and to the side you grant a glance and goddess you were all beauty pink cherry trees burst and burst my eyes wide as fried eggs
other animals 