Daedalus's Daughter

Playing god
in an 8x10 shed
where adolescent instinct
ruled all—

when she dreams now
of an old man
handing her a bird
too big to hold

it reminds her
of the first cock
she chose to cull,
 
the way the trash can
shook from his wingbeats
even though his neck
was well broken;

it wasn’t that
he’d lost a race
or proven impotent—

he was scalping
every chick in the loft
that wasn’t his own progeny.

Hearing their screams,
seeing their heads bleed,
she dictated
his death sentence;

for the good of the many,
her own life sacrificed.

_

Ptilonorhynchus Violaceus

Feathers line
his brown bower,
a thousand
sticks or more.

He likes
what she likes—

ephemera

           etcetera—

the paler his plumage
the brighter his gifts,

sorted in piles
and arranged:

berries, flowers,
nuts and bones—
even old beer cans,
plastic straws.

But’s it not all
for one bird;
if she likes it,
maybe so
will her sister.

He likes
what shes like,

calling one,
calling all.

_

The Sins of Others

Hail Mary,

full of grace,

Snow begins

m

   e

      l

        t

          i

            n

               g

and last

 fall

slowly re-

turns. ­ Up.

the Lord is

with thee;

Apparitions

of us     start

easing out,

creased and crumpled,

wrinkled

and wet—

blessed art thou

among women,

I’ve gone out

   to gather

the last icicle

hanging on

evening’s eave:

A single drop

drips like a drupe

from the tip;

instead of stone

within, one

immaculate

                   tear.

and blessed is

the fruit

of thy womb,

Jesus.

You’re still

    inside

with a glass

                    (of wine)

Holy Mary,

mother of God,

pray for us sinners

  the plastic

      beads

of the rosary

c·o·u·n·t·i·n·g

decades

  of mysteries:

now and at the hour

of our death.

           joyful, sorrowful,

glorious, luminous,

                   comforting.

Amen.

_

Attachment

So pretty to think
that he’s secure
even if I’m avoidant
(which means
I’ll fuck him over—)
         wait:
doing that already.

Hmmm. Then,
am I the evil one
for not leaving him
when he loves me?

(I’m probably not
supposed to be thinking
of this in terms of
who’s evil or not...)

Relationships
are not easy
for the emotionally
healthy—
for someone like me,
they’re pretty much
hell.

But apparently
I don’t even need
psychotherapy!
I can use him
as my secure base
and be normal
and happy.

Wow. Sounds so—
easy.
         How come
saying it doesn’t
make it work?

_

Litany

nights that I fell asleep
while you were still
talking to me

mornings you didn’t know  
I hadn’t slept at all
and there was no point
in trying to be quiet 

no one mentioned irony
when that came up

_