Clear toxicity, phenobarb
an overdose closed by gray mist
over deadman's strait, two police-cars
formate, climb to speed, authoritarian slapdash
careful, my old car, careful until past Taunton
and my angered foot heavy, my old, green nissan
part bison, part mongoose
fight north past Brent Knoll
clawing the poison, fleck the air
crows ravaging the carrion of fleas
clear it is I fly that death would grab me now
Bespectacled head stuck on a
pyramid of clothes, oh Hatshepsut!
Viper central. I shuttle cups of tea:
too milky, too warm, too cold
So much lightning on a grey mediocre dawn
my bags packed head-wise ready for the off.
We argued, that much is true.
Unlike old apple-cores, this one
remains forgotten. If someone could
send me the recipe for the holes
in donuts, I'd be grateful.
I could play with them
matching neuron clusters
to whatever grievance
or enigma coils around us
smoke twisting fingers
Oh look, a lizards tongue, furiously licking
the poisons I must now de-toxify.
Grey scales of a woolen cardigan
the cheese always out of sight
my willingness to remain hunting
lost in the perfume:
vermouth and paraffin
diesel and vinegar
marmite and refrigerant
I force my home-brewed poison down
as if bleach was all my life,
gag-reflex retching back escape.
One last sip, smash the glass
in the empty fireplace. I test my keys:
turbulent currents or freshet leaping copper boulders.
I have a sturdy pony eager for the off.
In sorrow, anger, love, I close the gates
behind me. Ahead, unknown moors, long ridges to climb.
I will stand on a peak and view my future.
--
http://www.badstep.net
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