Firebird Days

Firebird days, Nevada sands
Adam reborn, I am the dust man
Devil whirl blow
Particles collide inside
A Hiroshima sunset
The war-men behind goggles silent, pacific,
The rattlesnake river rattles over rocks
And into concrete cradles
Where it lullabies like B-29s subdivisions
Where they try to wash off the mudblood
The desert tamed by freon, the
Granite pulled by rakes,
Manifest destiny,
The sword flashing at the gate,
Accelerator spinning curses, cactus
La llorona wades into the Colorado
Wails a litany of laments
The river runs mud
In these canyon veins
Copper, gold, uranium,
Dinosaur hillside-scraper machines
Rescuers search in the rubble
Teachers count under desks
The damsel in distress
A silhouette burned into the concrete.

Spot (With Carl Z.)

See spot.
See spot run.
Out spot out!
Out damned spot.

Александра

You crossed out three lines in succession,
Poised ankles crossed on the edge of the Metro gap,
Didn't notice the station, didn't notice
the train as you got on, sat down, still writing,
drawing out thoughts through a
pen in pursed lips.

I stayed on two extra stations
Just to hear your name
Even if I can't understand your стихи
To know someone else is writing on the metro
with me
Makes me feel
A little less crazy.

A Wedding in Vilnius

Marble white, saints of gold
Communion with the old stone floor
Two to one, odds and choice,
Love and death and sacrifice
Take this man, take this wine
Take this heart, take this bride.

London Mariachi

I met a Chilean in the Stansted passport line
Después de esto, todo mi tiempo aquí en Inglaterra ha pasado en español
Aútobus, escuela, primos, política, lo que hemos visto
I wasn't welcome at the hostel for tea, looked homeless,
strangers shrunk shoulders together as I passed
Canta y duerme al suelo del aeropuerto
The Lord sent a morning Mariachi band to Gatwick
Prematurely welcoming me
Home.