images

she was a romantic teenager,
carrying books of dickinson under arm
skirts sweeping the lawn on the campus
an airplane fell from the sky
shrapnel hit the skin, splittered, and pieced
the parts of skyline like broken glass
across the flowerbeds of white daisies and begonias
her cats now arch across the sofa
the rose chintz patterns with the auras
pulling an icicle down with bare fingers
warming hands over a fire
pouring through papers looking for one lost
ladybug
lights smoldering in the basement
madame currie of mind, braving the beast
fought when so young to carry salve to the poor
to show radioactivity on the surface
metal beneath the skin
pulling out the plates with a magnetic key
purple braids and shafts of wheat
purple braids around the mug holding the dried arrangment
lexus to the office now
books and portfolios colliding into the backseat floor
drawings of landscapes of the mind
finding herself thrugh the maze of the grind
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corn on the cob last night.
corn on the rug and carpet cleaner for the beer
braising a turkey for the pot luck
lucky marquis and car keys on the rack
shifting sand from the floor of the boat
sands slipping from fingers time wasting
no longer racing against the faster sails
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tupperware parties defined the 70s
still ready to go in her 70s
hard green plastic crank casket
was ordered just yesterday
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blistering bubble of melted sugar on the stove
making creme brulee in white ceramic cups
from worldmarket, custard and caramel
custard and caramel...nothing is closer to heaven than
this kiss on my lips
i want it all. i want creme brulee forever.
no backtalk, no whiplash, no sidespeak
cheek to cheek
devouring my remedy
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she collected green glass
antique opaque glass
lining the shelves
ripping the curtain down the top
split to sides
tearing to left and right
let there be light
rain only on a dark day
rain only in the grey fleet
tearing again, the cloth, left and right
where is there light
let there be
a fight left within you
don't give up on me

(written to mary chapin carpenter's "10,000 miles")
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reaching into the round metal cup
with a long arm, to pull out the steel brace
holding all of the walls apart
at a reasonable distance
every wall that was round and soldered
to prevent collapse
all the kings men
all the kings men
all the kings horses and all the kings men
couldn't.
just couldn't.
tried so very hard to bridge the gap
put their finger in the hole in the wall
keep out the floodgates
and they couldn't.
take the key and lock her up
lock her up, lock her up
take the key and lock her up
thy fair lady
bats in the belfry
giggling, winking, in the know
and she is singing
and he is dancing
just couldn't, now could they?
couldn't keep it away
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the pin-cushion feels the pricks
take a stab now
at the pin-cushion and, my dear...
leave my ass alone
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fists of styrofoam packing for snow
threw it up to fly and fall
at your feet
paste them to the head of a mannequin
george washington
waving a finger at me for my deceipt
it's not my cherry tree sir
i don't care at all
because it's not my cherry tree
it's not yours either, or his or hers
i found it growing
wild and free
and i'm tired of trampling cherries
that look like grapes of wrath
i give to you
my trusty
ax
hack away
we could build a mighty fire
with the kindling of lies
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oh she's a shoe in
yesterday she was such a shoe out
but i'm thinking again
her feet might fit

whatever dear, just be sure
she is not wearing peep toe pumps
until something is done
about the naked stumps

oh she's a changeling
wicked wild child
a gosling whose run her feathers through
the henhouse

it was my fault mother
i was the rooster calling
she came and i knew
no one else should have her for their
featherbed.

you say we cannot wed
so we pulled her down
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dark royal blue handprints
on the fridge
five years old and a smile
sweeping the floor
pretending to be a chimney sweep
opening every door
for every butler and maid
paid by the penny

mary magdalene washing
the feet of her enemy
cutting her hair for the
cancer foundation
making a wig of her humility
which ends up
the crowning glory of a
small child
bearing wounds of christ

knife in the back cuts the wedding cake
cuts the rope from your wrists
driven deep into the falacy
cuts through the breast
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when she dove
she flew
like a bird into the deep
from the waterfall
as part of the sea
coming to grips with boundaries
swam a circle in the shallow pool
looking for a ledge beneath
willing a way back
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black and purple millicent
scary daring millicent
millstone about my neck,
scent of a bloodhound
something pritty for her claws
staying up past dark
silver chain and balls clutched tight
manager of night madness
throwing a party in the long limosine
on a full moon
flower falling from the crater
into my hands, a gardenia
shining bright
taking something sweet from a black hole
white light radiance



















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