TWO POEMS

The art of syntax I would have loved a canapé—pinkyup—should he have offered it to me—is an example of the Austenian subjunctive— which I have much rehearsed—its coycurtsy—to feign that I abide failuremore graceful than I’ve done— so when he plumbed my tonguewith two then three fingers—the garbage trucks wheezing on the next street—when he shuthis eyes to my face imagining—I guess—hers—I would have loved— should he have offered—that he openmy belly—part the curtain to my slowsquirming—terror of being seen by the amalgamated organ of everyonewatching—the closest to GodI’ve believed in—so that how could I not try to please it—such that I posturedabout, exclaiming how-darling & hell-yes—every word stolen from somewhere— from his off-again girlfriend with the snowboardblog & the MySpace following—from punkest Mephistopheles: Here’s the coat of armsthat gives me entry![Makes an obscene gesture]— from “Bigmouth Strikes Again”—oozedits self-pity—now…