Irvington

Ribbons orange from days in the sunonce were off white and they hung therefrom the lamp posts like some old eyesin the old face of an old man.The small stretch of long streetlooked frozen in October of at least fiftyyears ago or maybe even more.I poured my vodka on the hay balesat the corner and […]

As The World Spins

After another lonely yearshe got cleaned up again.And then, through all the steamand fogged glass of the washroomshe saw the young moonhang low like a mango too heavyfor its branch.She let her wet hair stick to her shouldersand rested one foot on the rim of the tubso she could reach beneath her thighand squeeze a […]

Cold Night Air

I watch their swelling bodies,bleeding under blanketsin the shadows of buildings,warp in their sickness.Trash cans covered in purplepaint knocked over and spilled outinto piles all around.Half eaten apples and watermelonrinds crawled over by ants and beetlessearching for a sweetness almost gone.A broken water fountain dented inbut humming on by the brick bathroomat the center of […]

Smoke Trick

The electrified nicotine makes the watertaste colder and my words become dirtas the smoke escapesthe corners of my mouth.A pair of shredded pantshang over the cross barof a street light and makethe shadows moveas if someone’s walking by Train brakes cry like owlswith their red sparksshining just enoughto pay tribute to the friction.A burning cigarette […]

Platz

Caramel covered brainslapped and stuckto the inside of a station wagonwindshield and the sunis beating down on allthe parking lot. The sugar bubbles at the edgesand the little dog in the passenger seatstarts licking at it and in all the heatit’s coat catches on fire. The flames spread to the gas tankand with the dog […]

A Call Off

We’ll tell them what they want to hear with our cheeks against the frosted glass of the back door, looking out at all the blurry cars. The phone call will be over in an instant, and any doubts left on the wire will be eaten by the waves and waves of crows that like to […]

Lookout

I want more time inside my headhe said before he placedthe drill bit flush against his eyeAnd then unscrewed. It spun there bleedingfor a minute on the drill,still in his shaking hand,until he dropped itin the wake of his red tears. He’d never see the same again,but when the shock subsidedand he reached for what […]