examine her In Pieces
page from a book word from a
sentence an eyelash a thumbprint
fragmentary faceted such
is intimacy in small doses
a seed a droplet of essential
oil sealed in vessels of Seattle
stealth someday I will visit
open up the vial discover
yet more tiny realms
can erase original sin with her extraordinary
baptisms
coaxes even Eve to fling away her fig leaf
dissolves insoluble barriers with her caustic
psychic solvents
whispers hints to you in class that can
set your home on fire
maestra of impossible, the intimate
performance
this work bears her
fingerprints
of the tent – bivouac’d in
Cheticamp and Breton Acadian in
Maine Vermont Connecticut from there
hoteled in Rome, Madrid – restless
on her way to caravanserais
in Africa hoping for the scent
of thorny flowers traveling light
and armed with her relentless
questioning bringing news of
what is found there home
fragile sparkling early morning web
of our communications – cyber and
in correspondence circles of exchange –
gone now, swept away maybe
by eagle’s wings while hunting
rabbits, mice, under the sagebrush –
more subtle web she wove endures
although transformed by time
from thread to strands more
fine, now wire, silver, gold
night and day we miss
you, miss your lattés,
miss the stools at your café
helping out behind the counter
or with cleaning or repairs
watching your falafel balls fall
brown and crispy from the
spoon, oh sir why did
you leave us, will you
come back? come back soon
intro to graphic design II
at the community college – now
in COLOR – teacher herself studying
conceptual art, she had a concept
haircut, concept outfits, concept
jewelry, and a hypersensitivity to
“bad design” that must have
left her always sick and
reeling as she traveled ugly
hallways trying to stay blind
vastly improbable assignment –
Brothers Karamazov in its entirety
to religion class in high school –
well, I read it, but gained little –
too confused by Fyodoroviches,
too shy to discuss the parable
of the Grand Inquisitor, too
young to know assignments
could be vain attempts by
faithless men to challenge God