rhythm, sinuous and
cracked as
a misspelled word.
asleep in the red caverns
of your heart
was a jewel the size of a fist.
it was my love
but it was cancer.
red and ravenous
with jaws like door hinges.
my love,
i wipe my face
on your empty shirt.
i. a poet's love ii. veronicae iii. the unpaved iv. prayer-within v. blank and full vi. red earth vii. still life viii. the tic begins ix. arouse alive / a suffering x. de ore leonis xi. fingers of the bird xii. the great good use