Leftwich / Bennett - NEEDS BLEED

Michael Estabrook - Three Poems

 PARENTS' NIGHT

AT THE HIGH SCHOOL:

(ορ: βλονδεσ αρε ωονδερφυλ)

MATH CLASS: %52$9001&**@

(YELP)

blonde with golden earrings,

red cheeks, lipstick,

fingernails: βλονδεσ

(BARK)

(like Miss Staniszevski,

my high school math teacher)

βλονδεσ αρε

(GRUNT)

tight black dress with

great flashing buttons:

smooth silky legs: sweet

feminine aroma:

βλονδεσ αρε ωονδερφυλ

(SNIFF, SNIFF)

(God but I love math)

βλονδεσ αρε ϕυστ φυχκινγ

ωονδερφυλ ωονδερφυλ

(TWIRLING WHEN WALKING)

***

FOUR TURTLES CROSSING

strange month of June

I saw four turtles cr

ossing four different

roads at four differe

nt times

stopped the car twice

to take them away: dr

opping one, a red-ear

painter, into a nearb

y pond, & dropping th

e other, an unhappy s

napper, about yea big

which I lifted by its

tail carefully watchi

ng its open-jawed hea

d snake up & around l

ike a cobra coming ou

t of a basket, into a

gully leading down to

a stream

the other two I could

n't do anything about

I was moving too fast

& there were too many

cars; couldn't risk c

racking up for a turt

le; I know that but I

feel damn guilty abou

t it nonetheless

***

         SHE

   AVERTED

HER EYES

   she

      averted

         her

            eyes

         when

      I

   looked

at

   her

      saw

         her

            stand

         ing

      there

   all

shapely

   and

      sweet

         with

            fine

         smooth

   lines.

Xabi Goizane - Surviving 2020

Wire murky bounce
Crutch barricade
Rib really became an island
haunting bellyful gutter neon light
eyes brass mushroom
escalator astounding dazzling melody fallout
brown raspberry chill
clock delights the lizard pyramid
weird hideaway

pain projection
anxious floppy frog
burnt knuckles gurgling hazy applause
mistaken carnal octopus beauty guts holding candle banana zero
whales empty watch compelling volcano warp revenge is graceful afterwards.

sunrise elsewhere

and anything
as at balance
because Between
Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black
but but but but but but but but but but but but but
but can corrupt
dare earlier equal
even if in its later later later later
previous previous previous previous previous previous previous previous previous previous previous previous previous previous previous previous previous previous previous previous previous previous previous previous previous previous previous previous previous previous previous previous previous previous previous previous previous previous previous previous previous previous previous previous previous previous previous previous previous previous previous previous previous previous
same seems shorter shorter shorter shorter shorter shorter shorter shorter shorter shorter shorter shorter shorther

so so so so so so
so starts the....

against alligator
awkward beat been before bit blue
breath busted but buttonhole clap cold
creeping crude dancing…
doubt down
dress eyes in faltering feather
fencing freezing glance
glimpse gone
got hair halfway hammered
heart heaves mood indigo
kiss knocks least lightning mamboing
melody mysterious necktie nothing
perplexing Rainbow quake roaring
sky slash