Wintercearig Waltz
I add three cups of powdered sugar
to the angel food cake,
Made with real angels, I say to the shadows.
The water spider in the measuring cup
does the backstroke. The snow you shoveled
in the driveway holds us captive.
does the backstroke. The snow you shoveled
in the driveway holds us captive.
I lick my fingers and stroke a blessing
across my tongue. We are all achieving things
these days. You ask me if waltzing
across my tongue. We are all achieving things
these days. You ask me if waltzing
should be taught in school instead of physics.
When I respond, What doesn’t move forward
becomes part of the problem,
When I respond, What doesn’t move forward
becomes part of the problem,
we know this is us and the economy.
I am the snowball
wishing you were a supernova,
I am the snowball
wishing you were a supernova,
and you are a supernova wishing I’d lower
my expectations. Later, when
I add gin to the devil’s food cake,
my expectations. Later, when
I add gin to the devil’s food cake,
the devil removes his muzzle.
The cat peers into the kitchen
and sees a ghost, which I am
The cat peers into the kitchen
and sees a ghost, which I am
these days, as well as a devil.
You and the cat wish I were
baking pumpkin pie
You and the cat wish I were
baking pumpkin pie
and we were happier, but my dessert
is a forgotten dance, a shot
of something in my drink.
is a forgotten dance, a shot
of something in my drink.
Sometimes after I stop crying, the moon
places its hands around my hips—
We’re cool, I say and roll over
places its hands around my hips—
We’re cool, I say and roll over
to my other lover, pillow,
my other lover, murmur, my other
lover—a newly discovered word.
my other lover, murmur, my other
lover—a newly discovered word.
