If Another

if i had a hamburger
for every fingernail lost at sea
i would be codfish

if i were a     tin     can
of marmalade
fewer bandages would get lost in the tundra

all of this
is true somewhere

     so soothe yourself
     moisten the tiles on your roof
     the shingles over your eyes
     cry upside-down
     laugh     to the fish
     tell them mountain-climbing jokes

from Purgatorial (2004)

Shadow

watching the light
as the pen
extinguishes it
with words

from Oedipus'First Lover (2009)