something reddish like giddy

limned, i warrant you

1.
raced, racketed,
put away dry and stained--
in autumn, in a pewter november
pocketed.

you were my next-to-last,
or next-next-to-last. heart laid away,
countered, stitched into sachet like dried
cranberries in a pocket, picking up
lint.

space space.


period
.
space space.


2.
razed and cracked:
the five-point day that ever is
when night is not. like a dry horse,
galloping and wheezing.

open your eyes, my first love.
open your eyes on your shelf of silver and bronze
staring out the rough-rimmed eye-holes of a mask
the texture of corn-husks. memories that
make me feel dead. like sand in the sockfist

of love. space space.


period
.
of love. space.

3.
change is either
all we have
or all we require,

my last love, my apocryphal diamond.

i anticipate you with the fervor
of liquid.
of coal, melting, melted, liquid. heavy at the wrist
and lid
with love of you.

pant pant. space space.


period. pant pant
.
period.

space.