[fits and starts]
what do you think when I hang out brightly
with your ankles and get into the bed
and my hands are beneath a blue waistband
one man mad on a porch is two big cats
he goes small behind the windows and then
overnight I try to bite through my face
turning my hand as though on a key and
Chicago shows its shoes and keeps shining
your lips – busted and formal as miles
like weather toying and yellow in strips
squeeze my fist till its thick as a milkshake
toothpaste in fits is on your greener breath
breath makes your chest a part of Chicago
I don’t read up on what Chicago does
[gold yeller]
I was working in a cheese factory
debating the jetsons and consensus
it was a kitchen – our product ballooned
we rented a basement – I saw no one
I quit it and looked at people for free
my sneakers got hot against new pavement
I did school to make effort and work friends
I’m still pale and sheepy in new classrooms
then it had been my problem – deeply set
as yellow – and hard like wolves
hard as the edge of your property
in your voice I say you left your shoes outside
lose your rights and you won’t have a birthday
I firm my brow red until I feel it
[victory slump]
do your ears play music are they peachy
are they into shrinkage are they here for
some pajamas are they scratching themselves
to stimulate bystanders do they note
closings – read around the edges of town
do they wear a too-big uniform
does runoff sound to them like infill’s pants
did they hear that land has to be brief now
do your ears take vacations do they laugh
like whistles in isolated pitches
does the regular pelt of skateboarding
appeal to them – do they spray are they time-
based like tickets like brush fires like tide
do they like being music do they sit
biography
