Praise Dream

Praise Dream I praise the dream world where black is now pinkand navy blue nev­er appear­sex­cept in the del­i­cate shells of tiny bivalves.A world where men dream­but women dream hard­er­be­cau­seit is hard­er to bear life new life than the same old life.We dream hard­er and more often. We do not lock our dreams into nightgowns.We …

A Girl

A Girl A girl knows it is best, in the summer,to be out in the alley­be­fore morn­ing cof­fee­brings her mother’s griev­ancesin­to clear focus. A girl hides behind a camel­li­abush wait­ing breath­less­ly­for her best friend’s broth­er­who will lat­er­drop a spi­der down the back of her shirt. A girl can be bought off for two quar­ters and … 

under the heat dome

under the heat domethere is a Siamese cat­cross­ing the alley.he used to be my cat­but he lives with some oth­er woman now.the moon is also a cat—round-faced, old-fashioned, talkative.this moon-cat fol­lows mefrom room to roomas I wan­derin the mid-night.heat soaks into my body;curls under my diaphragm; tries to suf­fo­cate me.she finds me in my chairnestles … 

Ginger

GingerAt the Palacio Municipal, you can pay out­stand­ing park­ing tick­etswith coun­ter­feit 20 dol­lar bill­sand frayed-edged lote­ria cards.I keep La Sirena for myselfand go out into the rain with only a paper umbrel­la to keep the ghosts out of my ears.They get in anyway.In the squarethe Independence Youth Orchestraplays waltzes for your wrist­watch that keep­stime backwards … 

Ode to the Rings of Saturn

Ode to the Rings of SaturnWhat could bemore per­fect­than a plan­et­cra­dled in the arms of its own rings?A giant bed­ded­down in the icyre­mains of itsonce beau­ti­ful spouse.Songless world­belt­ed with the­white track of a 30-year storm.Huge head halo’d­by twirling dust mote­sand the bod­iesof his children:O Rhea, O Mimas,O Titan,pockmarked beauty—outpost of man’s ambitions.Their shad­ows stride across …