Red

Blood that’s red

as distinct from blood that’s

brown is how you know you need

a doctor now. To read death into

dreams, attend to oceans, avocets,

and F-15s. But what if I dream

of death—what does that mean?

Don’t shock the baby into birth

by viewing wretchedness and rape

on screen, but if you must, repeat

what the suave director

said, on the matter of violence

in his movies: that’s not

blood, that’s red—