The Great Movie
In a room full of time, hunger haunted a certain eminence
of birds gathered here. Maddening, a dirty little secret
let me give morning: odd and quixotic, hearing the threat.
Almost as if he didn’t understand trust. Or if men were angels.
No. Angels serve as chains to bind night on American gravel.
I read heroes, alive, shoulder to shoulder.
I got manhoods opening, choosing as they say, astonished:
all of us remember. The talking. Earth. The phrase uttered,
and you knew me: the end of the world.
Fold, cave (skyrocketing) even if it pushes us, hope
will speak. If we could get her in the crosshairs—just go
outside, fire in the air. You’re a flock of geese. Her answer was:
Look. We’re serious.
It doesn’t end with love tomorrow; recently shut down,
your time provides a sky to light supreme. We stood up.
We stood up: The great stagnation facing the lesson.
You don’t send locusts to destroy the lousy; that’s why
I’ve been easing the means of our engine, booming.
You don’t have to read any further. We need to use a lizard.
We need to stop infinity. We need to see (trapped) the strings
attached, spreading the promise, telling the story. Take out your cell phone—
you will be joining us. I stood with my underwear, beyond anything.
I love you. Dear friends, we can bless.
Up to 8 Hours
Subvert love. Hold the outer subversion spot
by the moon grip with your thumb.
With the removal string hanging, subvert the tip of love
into your vagina at a slight upward angle. (See Image 1.)
Slide the outer subversion spot all the way
into your vagina until moons touch your body.
Push the word inside. Push all the way into the spot,
or use your other hand. (See image 2.)
Remove the inner and outer love spots
at the same time. (See image 3.)
The word should now be comfortably inside you,
with the removal string hanging outside your body.
When a word is subverted properly, you shouldn’t feel
any discomfort. If you feel uncomfortable,
the word may not be far enough inside. If this happens,
remove the word and try again with a new one.
You can wear a word overnight for up to 8 hours.
If you’d like to use a word overnight, subvert a new word
before bed, and replace it immediately upon waking.
Tupperware Party
If my body is a Tupperware party,
I’ll let my tongue speak for itself. Look—
how perfectly sealed I can be. Look—
how easily opened. Pass around my fingers
like melon ballers. Examine my toes
like a good set of measuring spoons
on a perfect ring. Dishwasher safe, lifetime
guaranteed. I see your pretty dresses:
starched, fluffed, matching your lipstick.
My lipstick is the whisper of an air-tight seal.
My dress is a pasta strainer, and I will fade—
not break, not warp or bend—over the next
twenty years. If my body is a Tupperware party,
I am not invited. And yet, here I am,
in a stranger’s living room, my shoulders
distributed as door prizes, raffled off
and grasped in nervous-sweaty hands. I close
my eyes and wait for these women to finish
their finger sandwiches and petit fours. Wait
to pick up the paper plates, watch them collapse
into an old trash compactor, its rumble
visceral and sweet.
Bruce Wayne's Girlfriend
I dreamed
I was Batman’s girlfriend;
he was twice my size
and a great kisser.
Or maybe he was just an okay kisser
because I’d close my eyes
and wish
he was you.
I woke up
wondering why
I’d move in with Batman,
who kept so many secrets,
who seemed more in love
with that one
villain
than he could ever be with me.
It was nine a.m. and I
went to pee, groggy
and upset, before I returned
to bed, not sure
if I wanted to keep dreaming
of Batman
with his shiny hair and thick arms
and that blur of the veil
that is every
dream.
I closed my eyes,
pulling the sheets up
to my chin,
remembering
Batman’s touch
more easily than yours.
Notes:
“The Great Movie” is an erasure poem. Source material: Cruz, Ted.
"Keynote Address." 2013 Conservative Political Action Conference. Washington, D.C.
24 Apr. 2015. P2016. Web.
“Up To 8 Hours” is a found poem. Source material: A portion of the instructions from
a Tampax box for first-time tampon users. Words in the original text were removed and
replaced as noted below:
tampon = word
finger = moon
insert = subvert
tube = spot
applicator = love
