4 Poems
First of the Month
the blackbird’s shadow bans itself
we blame the epigraph of birds
the good cop of the first born son
a stash of something frosted
in the nose or tips of hair or teeth
the pearly gates of prisons
heaven’s bars redacted
documents a bible verse
of motel dreams a banner streamer
twitch of us together
on the shelf of cheap ideas
bottom shelf bourbon
blues of heaven sent the light bill
hell of angel’s motorcycle
driving through heaven with no helmet on
“words for the body you were”
— after michael m. weinstein
halo
limelight
second supper
hands & hair & skin kept tight
the taut wrist of a jukebox’s flash
& music crept into my mouth.
heat lightning brow
all winter bound
& bundled—book in motel drawer.
return to address sender
self a post card
gender stamped
all pin up pig skin butterfly
& snake oil knuckles
nameless
heathens
saints
the strap on’s lord
who we delivered & desired
who was I but a mountain
without holler
what the silence swore
YOU SCARED THE DAYLIGHTS OUTTA ME
take back the night I cracked up in the mirror
hard luck on the buckeye tooth & seed
tick in the comb again
this hairline fracture at the gray
area scalp
lean back & lean receded
pick up line: the water holds your back
or else hands back
& flood is laughing
over us
the clapping of the river
lapping blocks and blocks
to come around here
hell or high
as water throwing hands
what's skinny
cigarette to flick
a misty out the mouth
to ash the tongue
into gray area
a parking lot where language forms
a smoke bomb in the mail box now
got stamps for food & letters
enveloped in americana dream
born from the blue lights & the red streams
& white hands