a century of universal decay
in cyclotrons nuclei are split
souls are split, sounds are split insanely
while behind a quiet fence on a bench in someone's garden
doom weighs a century of separation
and her eyes are ancient and her palms are taut with nerves
it comes oozing
out of flowers at night
it comes out of the rain
if a snake looks skyward
it comes out of chairs and tables
if you don't point at them and say their names
it comes into your mouth while you sleep
pressing like a washcloth
beware, beware
nearby and cynical, d**h brandishes a hasty spade
here whispers are worse than curses, offer no consolation
how long the bureaucrats babbled on like crows about universal good...
if you meet a cross eyed person
you must plunge into the gra**, alongside the chilly ants
fish through the green fingernails and come up with the four leaf clover
or your blood with congeal like cold gravy
if you run across a horseshoe, pa**erby, stop, take your hands out of your
pockets
and count the nails as you count your children or your money
otherwise a sand flea will crawl in your ear and fly into your brain
and the only wall you'll keep from going mad, is to be hit with a hammer
every hour
if a hunchback is in the elevator with you
don't turn away... don't turn away
immediately touch his hump
for a child will be born from his back tomorrow
and if he promptly bites the baby's nails off
so it won't become a thief that child will be holy
and you, simple bird that you are, may go on flying
whan you knock on wood
and you go
you knock on the cross