Black rectangle

Climb back into your body
where it's safe (?) black
rectangle on the eye balls

Floating black rectangle the
negative of a backlit screen
framed in light in the mind

I carry this rectangular iris
shape in my body visually
for a longer or fading time


Jan Jansdaad
"I'm Jan's daughter Jan, and he's my father."

Two foot

Caulk skylights

the east and west

his body is skinny but he has a big head and feet
she gets sore walking her muscle torso on sticks

they face the east and west, wasted to the known
proving those that seek darkness only need sleep


by Donna

kabob

Scared face

As did a forger, I held my face print in my mind and
went to the mirror's afterimage: I saw the scared face
or is it sentiment of fear, of losing my object, mirror

it's the face with which frankly I looked at you with
but more from above, so more sag, an ebbing red now
and I saw there in my own shadow your fear or the

reflection of my face in your face, the fear we share
but now as well a longing hopefulness, melodramatic
twinkle, or was it on my blank face yours printed fear?


Ted
"For you, Phyllis"

Compromised ramrod

this doesn't hang right
too many holes in wall
october's sunset night
sinks into vortex now

i do every bad I can do
exploit days without you
seeking unhealthy meals
because I'll see you soon

i rise to your higher state
or habits, maybe fate can
tell why we get on so well
shack up after two dates


Hoolie
"I'm vulnerable right now."

snot storm

there are protective toxins
that make petty little bitches
of ladies and gentlemen

Story of the Protective Toxin

It was a flower, and it gave off just the right amount of protective toxin, a discourager rather than an exterminator. Then one year there was an exponentially larger aphid swarm, and it had to blast the protective toxin to fight the pestilence, but then it didn't turn off. In subsequent years, essential bugs just died against its fluorescent, amoniac ribs, and then it too withered from lack of pollen or whatever.

Is it one of those morals where you can see the shame rather than the practice as pathological. Can it be cured by the medium of matrimonial gravitas.

I washed ashore here with all my shit

I washed ashore here with all my shit
the beach of autumn's cusp

There's no one who really cares, all gone
taken by winter's dawn

As live man scratches lid of casket,
I hammered my own hull

Spin, vajra-- spin! Tear up the ages.
Clean the rocks of lichen.



Ilyn
"Short for a state in the Great Lakes Region"

The only answer is to be like Jesus

The only answer is to be like Jesus
not dead Jesus, or like live Jesus as
He is represented to live by some,
but like Jesus's red letters in the
eponymous edition, only that, the
red letters in the white, zippered
vinyl embossed with gold letters.

Jesus had the answers, all the an-
swers, not the rest of the Bible.
He lidderly didn't have the rest.
To be like Jesus is forgive above
all and also give, reflect, cleanse.
Other religions are inferior when
you are not sure they have all this.

You hit rock bottom with trendy
ministries preaching catchy sides
but which turn a cheek, and which
Christians? Which let live the
guilty and the innocent, born equal
and fall, not just make bad choices.
He'd say get up and walk, forget it.


Donna Thong
"Still've got the surgery on the patio!"

rock, wall

The spring is a yawning hole

post-apocalyptic situation wherein all that works is a DOS command
they'd call you technologically proficient for engaging a raw prompt

the whole mouth, esophagus to gut, throughout which flora undulate
is the center you carry forward, ever acting on behalf of or to palliate

and as if swallowing yourself you tumble into a hoary spelunkee
and to greet you lie the others who can't turn their choices around



Illyn
"It's a shorter way of saying Illinois."

there is poetry and a dharma of hopelessness

there is poetry and a dharma of hopelessness
there is a reassuring failure of meta-cognition

knowing disaster while viewing affairs clearly 
to how free you feel, even surrender must kneel

this is the base for carrying on, that nothing-to-
lose appeal, a pheromone that attracts rich men


I am Reptily

Donna and peg in prison

DONNA: I'm fed up.

PEG: Enough with your victimization mentality.

DONNA: I agree. If I have to choose between being manager of a taco bell or eating shit on my knees before a corrupt overlord, I'll choose a disability claim.

PEG: What kinda disability?

DONNA: Can't take it.

PEG: Oh uh huh.

DONNA: If you can't take it, you can't make it.

PEG: Yer disabled.

DONNA: Ya.

PEG: But you can turn it around.

DONNA: No.

PEG: Ok.

DONNA: I'm done. I'm not turning it around.

PEG: Ok Donna.

Hernia of restraint

in continents where norms reign
the worst that can happen is the
hernia of restraint/ can't stop it.

like losing hair, unable to cover
slow fate off crown lifts the veil
but it's jabberwocky, mean voice

other decades were a waterfall
beat hopping against the surface
this spins out ones waving arms



Donna Thong

Sermon: Thursday 21 January 2010

in weariness
the Earth's nougat
cast up stronger
her lasso.

in this contest
only a taut heart
against her pistons
can save you.

while listening
as other creatures
die of what we call
bad timing,

in some folks' minds
poverty of movement
was their keeper
from friction.

Ilyn, Brother. Sermon, frag. 11-14

Exploring poverty

Choices, you said. It's all about
choices. Then what choice was it
made you die of a flesh-eating bacteria
one year into retirement, dead guy?

Exploring poverty is one way to
look at the choices splaying their
obscenely self-lubricating labia out in
front of me, every day, no matter why.

This want is like being in an accident
because you realize that you're alive
means you can survive even where
lack of means is the definition of sin.

The second time it comes again is
a roller coaster ride, but strapped in,
and you become well trained in the
work of penury and getting a bone in.


by Peg
"Thank Mthyuh the kids have jobs." 

We feel backwards toward the animals

Even animals feel th' backward attraction to lesser
animals when they are hungry or just want to hunt.

Me and Bradley had the pause of nay a generation
to take a breath from the laws of nature for paper

jobs or test tubes in his case, restless for open air,
but no one, especially not a father, with the trade.

Even to ride or work a beast these days is tacky,
Though I still set them on scavengers in the yard.

Fourth Warning

even tho it started with rain n' hail
and the storm cover kinda langered
we got a fourth warning about fire

she'd written on her knuckle "EXT"
for extinguisher, put it on the calendar
then spent another day wet dreaming

a day or many days in shrouds've
pine cone incense n' flaming tortillas,
seizures of a fan deep in the tower

gave way t' television first responders,
a mistry fanger burn way after dinner,
n' all the stores are closed till morning



by Ted
"I remember, Peg"