Poetry
The grape-thieves hide their hair behind black shawl
and babushka, still two days till dye day.
Giddy and bloated with the fleeting wealth
of full shopping baskets, they discover
the succulent green orbs, too tempting to
resist. Lit by wary glances, practiced
fingers find their prey, twisting stems with no
great effort, like assassins snapping necks.
Secretly, in silence now, casually
bringing hand to mouth as if covering
a cough, or suddenly remembering,
or scratching an itch that can’t be subdued,
the grapes pop into their mouths like pills, gummed
and swallowed to calm some inner turmoil.
The fruit fills their emptiness slowly, one
by one, like pebbles in a jar. Then, like
addicts, their shoulders relax once the deed
is done; all evidence has been destroyed.
Well-disguised caricatures of want, they
walk freely amid abundance in a
cavernous cornucopia, so full
and so vacant. The compulsion, passed
on by experience, to take what is
given—“Pride is the luxury of rich
and spoiled women”—isn’t that what they’d say?
Embarrassed by the sight of shadow selves
and afraid of boldness, of rule-breaking,
of aged anarchists, the workers look
the other way as the grape-thieves move past,
bitter and unsatisfied, but at least
conscious of their failures. If they hear the
tisking or see bare, dark-haired heads shaking
in disgust, they give no indication.
“The Grape Thieves” was originally published online in Hinge Online Volume 7:2 (August 2006)
This is an ode to Philip Glass
This is an ode to Philip Glass
This is an ode to Philip Glass
This is an ode to Philip Glass
This is an ode to Philip
Glass
This is an ode to Philip
Glass
This is an ode to
Philip Glass
This is an ode
An ode
An ode
Anode
Anode
Anode
Anode to Philip Glass
Anode to Philip Glass
Anode to PhilipGlass
Anode to PhilipGlass
THIS is an ode to Philip Glass
THIS IS AN ode to Philip GLASS
THIS IS AN ODE TO PHILIP GLASS
THIS IS AN ODE TO PHILIP GLASS
THIS IS AN ODE TO PHILIP GLASS
THISISANODETOPHILIPGLASSTHISISANODETOPHILIPGLASS
THIS IS AN ODE
TO PHILIP Glass
Philip Glass
Philip Glass
Philip Glass
Philip Glass
Philip
Philip
Philip
Glass
Philip Glass
Philip Glass this is
an ode to
Philip Glass this is
an ode to
Philip Glass this is
an ode to
An ode to Philip Glass
This is an ode to Philip Glass
“Ode to Philip Glass” was originally published in Zillah Volume 6, issue 1(Spring 2006)
Establish
Furnish
Burnish
Distinguish
Polish
Nourish
Tarnish
Languish
Anguish
Demolish
Refurbish
Finish
Publish
Flourish
Relish
Perish
Vanish
“Shh” was originally published in Lady Churchill’s Rosebud Wristlet (November 2005) and Bogg No. 73/74 (2006)
Fumbling excuses
Steel eyes behind plastic frames
Of course we all knew
Thinking of Krypton
He asks us what it feels like
To be truly home
A girl clips photos
Thinking how hopeless a world
If he wasn’t real?
“Kryptonian Triptych” was originally published online in Hinge Online Volume 7:2 (August 2006)
When you left
it was like the Dodgers leaving Brooklyn
a stadium emptied out
a home destroyed
they moved to California to start again
like everyone does
even you
“Brooklyn” was originally published in Cantaraville Three (April 2008)