Your Birth

Joy, of course, and a mess on the floor.
Strangers spinning round the bedside,
chlorine pools diminishing.
The light stands still on plates outside.

You rise from the porch of your
father's undoing while the clouds
dissipate. Party goers pass
on either side, shake their shoulders
as if to boogie or make trouble.

You will do both, handful of foot and gum,
precious bowl.

 

 

Wive's Tale

the wives in the garden are tapping
their teacups one of them

has gone murdering again she's
being chided her head bowed so all

they can see is her fetching pink cap
one wife looks away & ties a green

ribbon around her wrist another
sifts pearls through her palms and

stares intently thoughts drifting
the children will be home soon these chocolate
biscuits must be stowed away we wouldn't want
the children to get sick

the wife with a jade comb in her
white hair is firm
"you must be sure
to wash and what you can't wash you burn"

 

 

The Reluctant Bride

I'm a virgin on my wedding day
wearing 23 shades of white

my hair the color of a spotlight
I have the bluest eyes you'll ever see
on the subway I'm twelve

when I'm alone I speak to pigeons
my skin the color of the city before it rains
yellow that is almost green almost tangible

my mother sold me to a 90 year-old
millionaire in Buenos Aires

she advertised me on Ebay
guaranteed my blood reversed aging

she let me choose my wedding dress yesterday
my train is raw silk and spans two acres

she bought the high heels
I'm free until noon
there's a spiral staircase in my heart
the stairs made of phoenix wings
and mastodon bones

I'll climb out this window
the pigeons will come with me and the tiger
and the crack addict who kissed my hand
on the corner of Broadway

there's some other city there
some city just like this one but
all the people are barefoot
and it rains every day at four
it's a sweet rain and soft

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