Poetry

Edited by Phillip Levine

by Phillip Levine, December 30, 2006

Reincarnation: here today and back tomorrow —p Finding Nemo Not Don’t like fish with eyes, reminds me of a lover with none. Pathetic creature’s looking up at me, saying, “Don’t eat me.” A woman’s mouth, gutted of expression would just be all lies. Strangely, it’s the fanciest restaurants that serve up the heads. And the most beautiful women who are gouged of all vision. Fact is, I want my meat generic, my love-life particular. Let what I devour leave its head at home, what feeds me see where I am putting it. —John Grey Rocket Attack Sirens scream. A card table hangs for an instant in the air kicked by a retreating player. The screen door slams and the hooch is empty. Twelve men scramble into a would-be grave. Deep in the guts of the bunker their bodies pressed into the sandy floor. Scared men telling jokes. —Larry Winters Benjamin Franklin

I don’t want to hear that there was no key, never any kite, I’m just not interested in those kinds of stories anymore. I take it to heart, though, when you mention that on his deathbed he was entirely estranged from his son and that every time the lightning struck him, he bit his lip not to cry. —Billy Internicola Dream of the Bone Dance (81) Last night my tooth fell out, the one beside the canine, and you were sitting on the ground outside on the grass knees bent legs tucked underneath a long blue skirt with your brother full of contempt for me. —William Rodden