little dark girl with
kind eyes
when it comes time to
use the knife
I won't flinch and
i won't blame
you,
as I drive along the shore alone
as the palms wave,
the ugly heavy palms,
as the living does not arrive
as the dead do not leave,
i won't blame you,
instead
i will remember the kisses
our lips raw with love
and how you gave me
everything you had
and how I
offered you what was left of
me,
and I will remember your small room
the feel of you
the light in the window
your records
your books
our morning coffee
our noons our nights
our bodies spilled together
sleeping
the tiny flowing currents
immediate and forever
your leg my leg
your arm my arm
your smile and the warmth
of you
who made me laugh
again.
little dark girl with kind eyes
you have no
knife. the knife is
mine and i won't use it
yet.

Anna,
the young lions won't want you
forever.

Eventually you are going to
get tired
of keeping it tight,
of batting your eyes,
of applying the gloss just right.

Anna,
what will you do when the invitation beds
come to an end?

Eventually the lions will settle,
while you gather cobweb and callus,
while you smoke cancer and wallow in cellulite.

Anna,
find a boy who makes you feel like the sun.

Ultimately,
he's the only one who can save your soul
from all the crimes you've done.

I haven't shaved in 7-
I guess 8 days,
so it's the perfect time
to put on a pair of jeans
I've worn 4, maybe 5 times
without a proper wash,
I head out for a stroll
into the morning light,
I cross busy city streets
for kicks,
there's an army of running girls,
tan legs,
welcome mat *****,
any other day,
but today,
Keep the feet in steady motion,
a symphony of distant yelps
and funeral sirens,
me in ***** jeans,
gas station,
think about lighting myself on fire,
start to laugh,
keep moving,
a pretty girl and a lion,
let my eyes roll,
as they crawl into hobble
to color themselves
******,
and I walk until
morning gives way to afternoon,
until sidewalk gives way to forest,
my god these noises are tasteful
and frightening,
I think about the faces of pretty girls,
I think about hell,
then promise myself to never
fall in love with anyone
who will ever love me back,
too boring,
I come across cemetery,
find a unique name carved in stone,
the epitaph indicated upstanding character,
"loved with all her might",
all I can say is,
I hope it's contagious, Anna,
I dug a trench by her sleeping place,
I hope it's cool with your man, Anna,
I let my ***** jeans,
I let my wrinkled shirt,
I let my smokey scent,
I let it all sink to soil,
The stars are beautiful, Anna,
I don't know that I've ever seen them
before,
and I don't think I ever want to
see them again.