October 14, 2008

matter

s   t   o   n   e   s

           when the letters are stones

                    dragged     placed       abandoned


s   n   o   w

        when the letters are snow

                       packed     curved     left


y   e   l   l   o   w     c   h   a   l   k

                when the letters are yellow chalk

                               up on the blackboard


g   r   e   e   n     g   r   a   s   s

                 when the letters are green grass

                                woven     placed in shade


b   a   t

        when it brushes arm-hair

                    in the cave's deepest black


g   a   s   h

        when the glass-slivers

                      bubble up from the trench of blood


—Joel Chace
____
Previously published in Joey & The Black Boots

Posted by dwaber at October 14, 2008 02:07 PM