a brief episode of fondness
dear mannequin friend
whose lips drip jungle chlorophyll
whose torso is measurable
by tree rings
it is hard not to be
an abortionist
in such a room
nothing is left but the forest
after i swung you by the head
to deflect missile beeline
and tossed you to test
the landmine field
i started missing you
i had replaced your more vital
organs with clocks
your sternum
with a lattice of birds
r a r a a v i s
i confess
in the conical searchlight beam
you were beautiful
and i took you seriously
you were not wearing plaid
it was only three hours ago
but do you remember
the sweet way radiation hissed
from the smoldering
husks of fruit
was that your voice?
the branches flecked with streamers
for some macabre party
urban debris
hubcaps / dildos / lampshades
we will now be defined
by the words left unsaid
the doings left unfinished
the trick is avoiding definition
do you remember the way
we had to take turns
upsetting each other
to stay alive
so i could lick up
your salt trails
then you mine
i mostly told stories
about dinosaurs
but you just told the truth
mannequin i have loved you
under the table
under the weather
under the radar
under the influence
under the knife
under the pretense
and now we will volley
with the practice of centuries
thoughts without ever meeting
