Last night, a boy again, fell from Ohio’s steamy sky, shedding his ivory northwest skin into Appalachia’s coal-stained hands on the river’s muddy arms. It took Alaska’s steel grey wingsto lamp his face with fireflies. Morse code flashed above cottonmouths cruising the creek... Continue Reading →
For her work on bubbles Karen Uhlenbeckbecame the first woman to winthe Abel Prize in mathematics whichnow should be renamed the Eve Prize.From those effervescent multi-colored bumpsin after-dinner sinks, to those etherealtransparent balls blown into space by childishlips, to the huge black hole (a big bubbleborn of a dying star) in the Messer 87 galaxy,55... Continue Reading →
when my head whirs & clatters like a dusty fan.I can’t close the browser window in my brainlong enough to enjoy a blank screen,ease into an afternoon of rest.I should be doing X, I think. She said Y, but why? I think.The government is, the country is, the ignorance of men,my own. I’m a failure... Continue Reading →
A man walks from pump topump asking for . . . you knowwhat he’s asking for, and Idon’t want to see his face.I don’t want to be convincedby some jugular detail.Behind the SUV door, I’vealready made up my mindhe’s not worthy for — what it alwayscomes back to — my resources.Men have died for the... Continue Reading →
In hell the beer isnever cold enough,the music is notloud enough, and akiss gives you herpes.What did you expect,the royal treatment?Get on your knees andcrawl through the sharpestglass, the hottest coal,and remember whatyou did to get here.Enjoy your beer onearth, turn up the rockn’ roll. It will notget better than this.Kiss the one you loveand... Continue Reading →
The first white girl I had sex withnever accused me of rape,though her father did.Why else would his daughterspread her legs for a black man.One day he showed herhow to check the oil in her carand slapped her mouth so hardshe cracked a right front tooth.He said she never listened,about oil or men—and that she’d... Continue Reading →
In such a serpentine situationAs Interstate 410 before eight a.m.,Language is not quite precise—Aggro jazzOf chrysalis lives,Some in Chryslers Accelerating, Halting to completeStops, Swerving between artificial lanes,Closing gaps between HUMONGOUSBuicks with grannies behind the wheelWho should’ve stayed home insteadDriving their pinche wheelchairsIn such a serpentine situation as this,I’m not quite sure yet whereLanguage is leading me,But fortunately—I’m happy... Continue Reading →
de chirico’s shadows, lateafternoon,end of winter with sunlight asweak as christgotta laugh when thefist finds the child’s throatgotta be some lesser god shootingstray dogsdown by the riverit’s easynot enough time in the day tostart worrying about the futureyour father dies and thenyour brother butthe bills still have to be paidgirlfriend keeps crying everytime you fuck... Continue Reading →
I wanted to be just like my older brother; tired of being known as just Sean’s kid brother, so I wanted to be his equal or surpass him. I auditioned for the same role he won awards for my senior year but I lost the role to a friend. And I was passed over by... Continue Reading →
A queen bee switched her daughter’s diet to honey and pollen, withholdingthe royal jelly. She feared her hive had a second queen.The queen’s five eyes scoured her daughter’s cell, kept it light so nothing washidden. The larva was punished for any signs of independence.An untended larvae will shrivel. Forced to become a worker, she gave... Continue Reading →
