I’m not saying where
but two undergrads died
of alcohol poisoning,
a fraternity went into
the porno business,
and riots broke out
at Fifth and Ivy.
A midge drowned in my eye,
its body flown into me.
A gelatinous wreck
on a saline sea.
Waves of schnapps slosh
in my mother soul
and I cry mid-sentence.
A smutty thrust of genitals
intrudes on my grocery list
and I forget to buy milk.
I see police with paintball guns.
My arms sting, my ears ring.
There, there. A calm
grabs me by the sleeve.
I kneel down for a brunch with the bugs
where the sky has been sewing
cafe curtains trimmed
with rickrack. A fluffy
caterpillar drops into my salad,
ravenous for the lettuce.
Cathryn Shea
Latest posts by Cathryn Shea (see all)
- The Insect Effect and My Alma Mater - March 1, 2017