teeth – other animals

please ask me to
kill for you ask
me to imprint
each foot with the
ridges of my
best teeth ask me
to comb the clouds
into candy
for the joy of
toothless trash cans
throughout the land

I.
His clothes so out of fashion you wonder
if the gentle breeze from the willow will
shatter him into an ant hill of teeth
and trinkets you can sell at the market

II.
Your fabled jewel that could
end the conflict but when
you tell the story drops
of blood fall from your hand

III.
Tended with a heat gentle as
breath until the crow bubbles up
soon you will understand her voice
as though you too were from the moon

in the way you cut open an apple or when those few holes in the canopy kindle a longing for your famous original teeth

if I’m lucky one day these teeth will shatter Venus

(First published in Bones.)

I lift the pen but why my eyes slide down this poison face

but the sound of a bird I can’t
the glow of the sun
sinking what
else can I say

I waited too long and they’re already cleaning up so I grab some trash and throw it away they tell me to keep moving

when I slept in the forest those long years between research grants

salad days between immunity and editing

people always said I gave up too easily and mostly through song for some reason but that’s really none of my business you see I’m only paid to write these instruction manuals

leafing at monster cello sorry
it’s these new plant-based teeth

and the weight of this uniform from lack of sasquatch in the spring

did you see it that time like a flash of silver at the corner of your eye but never mind it was nice to see you again and we really should get together and no that’s OK I have utensils at home

after we signed the agreement and kicked each other’s teeth out accompanied by the cooing of mourning doves huddling before the sickness of dawn

sorry to bother you again with this amazing opportunity but those sharp teeth are starting to yellow and with back-to-school shopping about to get underway you’ll be kicking yourself later in either case

by the time you hit the ground your teeth filed to points

teeth of ferns still whispering lies about the Cretaceous

Remember to

Forget what you know sit softly
lulled by the sound of hundreds of
pens simultaneously writing down
your mistakes think of clouds
over that chasm you love

Forget the ad that is following you
keep sharpening your teeth into points
we’ll see if we can find a knife and a few

layers of breathable fabric as you
start off stinging wind your boot brittle
grass bright crunch beneath

Forget it and start again don’t think of pathogens
the tickle in your throat give the pills a chance

outside flashes of red flowers one ant
carries his scrap of stone down into the dark