CALAMITY

When I was young I was not chic

but I had the calling to be chic,

the memo in my marrow:

“Someday, smile.” A young girl

lives the opening credits of Barbarella

on eternal loop, is made of the way

her name spills out of her hair.

When all else fails—and it will—

put your fingers in your mouth.

 

See the afterlife for what it is:

rebel episodes pre-paralyzed

for maximum release.

Outside, a girl with nobody

says to the night, “All right, let’s go.”

In movies a man always appears

and says, I will hurt you

by being the way that I am,

but follow me everywhere

anyway. If the Devil

wants you, he will show.

 

At thirty, I keep dreaming of horses.

You always look away while

I leave. If I had loved you more,

you would know the difference.

The situation remains nameless.

Sometimes you get a shipwreck,

but nothing next – no tall tales,

no scavengers, no skeleton grove.

I just came in to get warm.