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Synapse and Grace

In heaven there is no beer. That’s why: There was a bar outside of Pigeon Forge, crawled back onto a flat space hanging off its mountain, where someone, seemingly inspired by great forces, had seen the fiction of her body, and in tribute rendered it fantastically, overwhelmingly, in fluorescent paints across the entirety of the…

Poetry Night

The poetry club in Jean’s neighborhood scheduled readings of new works every Wednesday in the basement of a popular restaurant, The Two Bruce Café. A surprising lot of people showed up regularly to hear and then critique the week’s artistic efforts, and the two lawyers named Bruce who owned the place felt rewarded because the…

Coyote Seduces a Statue

One glimpse—that’s all,     then in no time flat, Coyote’s beguiled,     spit-shine kempt: cologne-scented singer,     bouquet-bringer, acrobatic twister into arabesques:     What can I change? What’s the sure-fire ingredient?     How many howls make a billet-doux?     Good luck, sings the swan-white moon, good luck and let me know—       No desert…

Venetian Blinds

…these blinds give people control over light; they let the outside in and still allow a feeling of privacy in a glassed room. —from a brochure on window treatments you say what I remember didn’t happen and hanging the blinds I admit my dreams swerve from rippled instants to serial repeats I think about the…

Our Star

Every day, whether we realize it or not, we choose one of two stars to guide us, a star as ephemeral as our life, a star water can wash away. One star is made of packed sugar, the other of packed salt. Water melts both. If we choose the star of sugar we will follow…

Twos

The rooms where you entertained me are open to view And expensive now. But I’m drawn that way. The sea steps ashore up wide ascents of marble. Corinthian columns ruffle like bedclothes. Rough side of a towel, smooth side of silk. Your mare’s-tails unravel, and cloud the royal blue. A brown Raleigh three-speed. A wide-tired…

Migrations

Duluth, Minnesota Read hawk’s story  ink scrawls Across      a paper sky      the goodbye To time                       A woman Turning through wrinkled Leaves The Wood is in     the Garden Is in      the Wash The wind wraps all of us With winter                       Almost silence Then melts ice into spring Tongues loosen                       She snaps twigs Beneath…