Timekeeping

The children laugh at us—
aliens adorned in specificity
humorous bondage
and then we play their parents

Music is the clockwise heaven between us
as soon as we forget full
we remember empty
and then you begin to know that manner of torn
dissonance like everyone breaking fun at once

Let’s all take hold of the rope at once
anywhere to risk a slip along the route
stop if it pleases you too much.

My surrogate grandmother slash next-door-neighbor
had sewn doll clothes for my dolls
and the best thing about the children’s books of verse
she gave me were the illustrations
of oversized candy trees syrupy alcohol lakes
stages of an unwilling prince’s life
insecure pirates and iron maidens
if only every other artist desired to inspire vision this much

I am not the only one
annoyed with the apologetic way you talk about wolf families
and their emotional lives
some conceal the same sentiment with laughter
when they have no idea what you’re griping about

You’re a domestic servant with no free time
since I’ve told you how to spend it

There will always be moments you compare to unexpected birthmarks
Some days you couldn’t force me to practice
and I’ll be becoming less into getting what’s not to be gotten
Goodbye underwater & glorious fire escape
Goodbye view of a poor excuse for a courtyard
Time to make it all up