a skull on a desk, and it is early morning, and: delineamented giants

a skull on a desk, and it is early morning, and: delineamented giants Cory Dawson a skull on a desk, and it is early morning the jaw hangs looseandthe eye sockets yawn. some teeth are missing. there once was fleshto youbut this is no longer the case. you have molted you have become free you have evaporated. this is not the face of death,this isthe face of vacancy.no one is home and the doorshave not been locked. there is nothing left to be stolen. poets mayspeak into the mouthor stare into where oncewere eyes,or tip it over and use it asan ashtray. End Page 3 delineamented giants sitting at this deskeating a SPAM sandwichand readingWilliam Carlos Williams.may as well start my own poemnow,give it enough legs to breakall morning,warm it to blood temperatureso that when I slice its belly openit's not so bad.there you go, poet. I have made it this farand can go no further,still I walk.I have given up, submittedmyself to death long ago,still I proceed.my brain moves my bodywithout my informed consentbut sometimes I smileso I go along with it,I let it carry meupstream and downstream,I piss and moan and sing. I'm no expert buttoday doesn't seem so bad.tomorrow might be okay, too.the next day, though,that's where it will allstart coming at me,I will begin unraveling again,and it will all continue alongits course.maybe this is enough for now.I have poemed out some End Page 4 word-slop, be happy about itas I am happy about it.okay, good . . .let us see how wella poem responds to pain . . .oh no, not good at all.look at it . . .listen to it . . .that twisted body,the sounds it makes . . .maybe I should havestayed in bed today.a wood thrushflies into my garden.I leave this squirming masson my deskand walk outsideto smoke a cigarette. End Page 5 Copyright © 2024 University of North Dakota