stagnant ponds

did you ever
hear coins
sliding around inside
the belly of a guitar?
the frogs were
deformed in my
young hands
the teacher says
they are a siren species
i don't hear any screams
i have never heard screams
but these poor frogs
can barely swim
and our politicians
feel a brotherhood
with them, every
crack of their latex
knuckles vibrates in
the short paddles
that were meant to be
webbed feet when god
blueprinted them--
they are concerned
about animal deformities
because they know that
animals are more
expressive than their
speeches. every twitch
of a lion's flank is
better than the state
of the union address.
i hate speeches
no matter what the topic
stop making them now.
hang me for that. hang

skinned lions

or stay up so late
that all the colors
became threatening
in their vividity?
did the toilet's
flush become
pretty as a harp
being stroked
by a calm hand?
did you see her
sleep with one
hand above the
whirlpool of
the bedsheets?
and did you want
to break that hand
and would you like her
to wake up scratching
at you with an emotion-
less face? answer me,
you coward in five
mirrors!
i will need to add
a word to the dictionary
just to describe the
textures of the linoleum
as it bubbled under her
hips and my heart is an
independent reptile
whenever i think
of what she didn't
save for me to break.
me for that. hang me for
that. hang me for that.
hang me for that. hang me

ass

it's
better
than death
its
flower
is too
long
and deep
for me
to resist
and i
think
of some
-thing
better
than
rape.
i will
need
to
destroy
whole
societies
just to
earn
her
first
kiss.
i
love
ass.
for
that.
hang
me.