(Dip of Heavy Wings etc...)

Now that New Orleans sleeps
on the floors of changing
rooms one looks under
at the smiling women
like a spectator actually
feeling the magnificent
wave of the lit world beyond
the drowned (dip of heavy wings etc..)
Just sticking out one's neck
could mean an indelible
toasting.  But we peep out
of sheer joy.  Out of giddiness
like taking a cookie
and running upstairs
In other words this is
pealing off the label
Embracing the possibility
of spoonfuls of beauty
the size of a river
The delta expands
and more houses fall in.

Kissing in the Driveway

Over a mile not the blooming lilacs
not the wrong we have done or the empty after the rim
appears to be drifting  like a dark consequence
I mean heavenly garland of flowers looking out the window
asking questions with universal freshness of pencil shavings
trading up of blow-cap pathos
A large vase
The door of enormous distractions
same lightening.
The name that bobs and comes up now and then
A seat for the kids
The distance like misunderstanding a good mood
Life melting around the dinner plate of our frozen beginnings
The last page of a funny book---starfish diaries, guinea hen,  &
hair cut with swamp clover abandoned like dogs on the beach
great waves with a mild peril that rains inside a tin can.
blue light and white light and lump colored light
and light with orange tops and light with white caps
and light with impatient heart beats
and light that bears light
and light that tips off the table cloth
and light and light
and light kissing in the driveway.

You Know I Can Sleep Anywhere

These parts are no longer important

the secret tiptoes once again

like an intrigued stranger

over the fresh greenery of photographs

never expelling the bright ambient

I never said mother lightly

But the rest of what I have said

has lightly fallen like dander

or blush or the thinking that something will

come out of it

This is also about the couple dinning

alone in a castle which I have said

nothing about.

and the body

in the diamond sleep
of the glorious downstream
the cottage swimmers
remember a brilliant forgetfulness
open dampers
of filmiest parcel
in kitchen savannas
the reed gaze
squandered penumbra
do tell mask
and cheek summons
brown hangovers
dinner skirts
contemplate the clever
placid apologies and
carousel alphabets
from the equatorial treetops
ponytail quinces
clover burn
water loner
and puts the sky dress on

Apartments and Houses

Our heads feel so warm
we might want to cancel
the electric

In fact

When the stars burn out
I just might cancel it all

And grab the books of poetry
from the bag

from my trunk
I bought at the church sale

In fact

They might help me predict

the place
before my body catches up
to my body

before your body
catches up
to mine.

A starry body slipping into a white dress and disappearing

The past
definitely tomorrow
like a blue savanna
proves it has nothing

to do
proves it has nothing
than await
The past

proves in the shadow of
the past
before morning
to do

the sleepiest thing
to do
who knew
proves in the shadow

you always dreamed
proves in the shadow
not anything
the sleepiest thing

not anything
the sleepiest thing
other than the secrets
you always dreamed

it had nothing
you always dreamed
during the retelling
not anything

to do with you
not anything
during the retelling
it had nothing

like a blue savanna
it had nothing
other than the secrets
to do with you

Pulling Off The Face

You know

today

I have been pulling off my face

With my hands turned and my fingers clenching

at the corners of my jaw bone

I pulled as if pulling off a mask.

With two hands I tried.

I tried my mouth, my nostrils, the corners

of my eyes...I tried the reaching down

to the back of my neck.

I even tried breaking it down

by tearing an ear, plucking a lash

pulling from my brow,

rounding my finger through a blemish.

I know you barely understand

me.