Tremble little polliwog
the pond's Great Bass is nigh.
and if he should to catch you up
you certainly will die

But wait, ahead some reeds so stiff
that should you wriggle in
could be as strong as prison bars
and protect from tooth and fin.

I.

I'm a growing polliwog,
not a butterfly--

pickled legs hang off of my fish body
and gills close off so rapidly.
A minute ago I could caress the water
and make oxygen bubble in my throat. Now

beating,

pulsing

lungs intrude
like pink bubble gum ready to pop.


What a sadistic word,

oxygen.


II.

After a little nap in a sleeping bag
butterflies are monarchs,
stained glass fluttering perfection,

symbols of luck,

symbols of
beauty,
Their wired bodies are scribbled together
like starving supermodels.


III.

And my seams are

!slowly!  

pinching themselves open,
a la Frankenstein.

I want to think these body parts are mine:

A tentative nose,

very green pointillism eyes
with lashes like brittle grass or bent nails,

These white playdough thighs,
and stretchmarks like remnants of lace
chewed up by my insane canine.

Pink.
Dainty and tangled on my legs,
I think they look like jet-streams lit by sunset.

Stopper allsh Chub forsh shrame Good Chinwag, yah?
Arsh sieve Combatibles posh Boys bare playe
Shaye, yay Share! Bar score thore Pieces me - bah!
Mayse Lion bare thine; Yare Deer-Berry splaye
Wot cot Beagle-Risen thorse Polliwog
Spout Arms dash Legs arsh instant forsh shore Sport
Water-Rouse, rebound! Spare Skin-Sherry shogg
Staple coach-wires faye John Tom's Report
Behave, tharne! Parallipparel Shape conduct
Pour-Pore noodlesee Six-Squares shrub contesse
Mare beere yorsh Chest torso-avenue locke
Reprodpress marsh baye Bub-Peppers finesse.
Staye-upon-staye bore thoose talkitook borough
Boy-ish-Boy-font-fare-Potiphar-although.

You have a tail
Born in the water
Swimming around
just like an otter

Over the months
You steadily grow
Tail is shrinking
why don't you know

Quickly becoming
That full grown frog
You'll no longer be
That little polliwog

Red wine seals the cracks ,
opens the door
levels the field
good smoke brings the growling to an end
canned potato chips nourish the body
and the young soul
lipstick smeared cigarette butts ,
slim fast cans , powder cut on an
album sleeve , counting this ,
counting that
someones ***** , his majesties
**** toy
a 45 record skipping
a lizards tongue shoved into his mouth
probing , violating , poisoning
white wine fills the moat
overspills , rushes into the basement ,
flushing the vermin from nooks and
crannies
nostrils packed with feces
ignored , ridiculed , used  ... This butterfly amongst the ravens
This polliwog mingling with the frogs