Olivia D'Abo Image Gallery Poem
It took a good jolt of electric shock
to jump start the old libido.
Like a car left in the field
my backseat grew static and rusty.
It took, really, the Olivia D'Abo Image
Gallery, to find the fumes
in my heart and ignite them. It was
quite a show finally, a magic show.
And, at the end of the day, it was still
there, like a snake left over
from charm school: The Olivia D'Abo
Image Gallery. Esto perpetua.
The Seduction Shirt Story
I wear the seduction shirt.
The sleeves are unraveled with care.
Sleep, my friend, stay awake
with me as I approach you.
You are a loose bit of electricity,
a careful smile. I say your name.
You tell me that my shirt
is too old. This is the way the story
ends, with a wimp and a bangle.
VOICES ON FOUR THEMES
--After Jim Dine
I. TOOLS: Five Feet of Colorful Tools
"Someone has been trying
to stop all work in town---
power lines cut,
roads blocked,
and the tools rearranged.
'Gypsies,' father says,
but no one seems to listen."
II. ROBES: Cardinal
"This painting of a robe, children,
represents the state of affairs
in the Catholic Church
following the death of one pope
and the choosing of the nest."
III. HEARTS: Coming in the Sun
"Even in my few brushes with love,
I've learned the heart can grow stone cold
and cut you to pieces."
IV. TREES: Rose and Grey
"On certain
moon-filled nights
you can watch
the dying trees
thrash the air
with their bleeding limbs."
The New Physics
Fear falls
neither faster, nor slower
in a vacuum
than other emotions,
landing as soft as lead,
as hard as oxygen,
on radioactive imaginings
that cannot prevent
our inevitable decay.
CHARLIE'S AMAZING BEACH TOWEL
Charlie invented a shark-repellent beach towel. Dipping it in chicken soup, he wrapped it around himself, and jumped in the ocean.
Two great whites came racing towards him. Spotting the towel, they screeched and swam away. Their carcasses were found floating on the surface. Autopsies indicated they'd been scared to death.
CNN broadcasted Charlie's next test. Billions witnessed sharks fleeing from Charlie while he was wrapped in his amazing towel.
Next day, CNN broadcasted Charlie's funeral.
Nobody knew Loch Ness Monsters considered beach towels dipped in chicken soup gourmet treats and that they'd swim thousands of miles just to eat one.
Missing the Boat
Ourselves
Over tea.
The I surrenders in verse.
We stake
Our claim:
Forever has its contingency.
I am your
Heyday;
Spent on rope.