Kristen Orser

~*~

Later


I'll meet you in the bath
with an unlucky number

under your tongue,
where tomorrow

is the promise of the dancing girl,
the one you dreamed was dead.


~*~

For the Occasion of Seeing a Gull


on top,
a bird
on top,

the head
of a man

with a top
hat.
on top,

where wing is wood
with a beak

(maybe a fig),

someday I'll be a gull.

--

under,
a cloud
under,
the song.

when the days shorten,

I'll owe you
a bird in the hand

and maybe a spring

to do with as you like

~*~


A Loud Moon


remember mock-moon,
between
tide, between toe,
between pillow
slip?—

       *

leaf in between bodies
and hook

a collection of days
for the depository
of peaches

       *

wait,
I meant to say my mother
wore a black hat
until she heard the ocean

inside a sugar bowl

made from the bone of china
and decorated
with small, pink flowers.


~*~

Dear Floret


pullulate dear floret, pullulate.
shoot, shoot

as well,        well forth
where forth. dear floret, where forth

snowball?
slap it on or step it up,
but do not shrink,

skip town in a skirt
with a shuffle ruffle.

because this is not
floret, dear dear floret, this

is not.
stutter.

be born to tick:
tick tick tick           and take

cackleberry.

the whole succession is yellow eye,
unborn

~*~

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