Animalia
by Birch Fabregas
what must i look like
from your ever-dark daytime eyes from your
sockets emptied through by all of summer’s blue shadows?
only the rusted lattice below stares back
where your ribs unfurl into dried brown flower petals
scattered among vertebrae and orange-streaked spikes.
this place makes litter of all of us.
our bottles your body in whits of lightning these
scintillating tooth-ed edges dripping with a taste of
something stronger: the ties
that left us here with chest caved in to chest caving in to chest craving into
a hollow scraped emptier than when the fungi had their way with your eyes.
and it stretches on beneath us. through us, taunting:
these rails will burn on longer than your name don’t you want
to be named again full again be still again held again when
by Birch Fabregas
what must i look like
from your ever-dark daytime eyes from your
sockets emptied through by all of summer’s blue shadows?
only the rusted lattice below stares back
where your ribs unfurl into dried brown flower petals
scattered among vertebrae and orange-streaked spikes.
this place makes litter of all of us.
our bottles your body in whits of lightning these
scintillating tooth-ed edges dripping with a taste of
something stronger: the ties
that left us here with chest caved in to chest caving in to chest craving into
a hollow scraped emptier than when the fungi had their way with your eyes.
and it stretches on beneath us. through us, taunting:
these rails will burn on longer than your name don’t you want
to be named again full again be still again held again when
red flicks on.
dusk flares into heartbeat glow
thin-skinned fist-clenched
membrane-stretched glow and
dusk flares into heartbeat glow
thin-skinned fist-clenched
membrane-stretched glow and
hair on my arms lifts their heads. and wait.
reborn glass-blown animals taut
among green clover tails winking white ears pricked
while cicadas’ song sharpens to a note thin and undulating.
the scents of the air make themselves known in gauzy particles:
wetness cooled still sweet smell of decay ghosting from below
as the silver lattice begins to shiver it appears ‘round bend shattered through phantom
heat crawling until they are upon us roaring--
these painted metal beasts on their predetermined prowls
snarling faceless flashing bright and yellow! in the under-bridge ink-spill
bathed in thunder washed through with noise
mechanical coat smeared with names of animals blurred by ferocity
that steals away any words as though it has
reached past my lips torn through my tongue and took me by the molars
held me to the earth unfurled emptied bit through until
it leaves us here.
here, it leaves us.
with a fragile silver ringing. the scent of soot.
nose stinging knowing the glass-blown animal of my body has left me
decomposing into the naming of things
on the railside. what ties
us together, after whose name stays whole? what
fresh new thing will hold me now when i bathe here under watchful timeless
eyes torn through by all of summer’s blue shadows what
am i after
what are you, after.