a weight of tension
climbs about the room
like a turning light

the televisions plaintive happy
little voice cheers itself up
the snowflakes lurid and
monstrous fall on a chinese
screen...thrown there pinned
like dead butterflies
from a hundred watt light
across from a strangers yard..

a record turns shiny and black
the voice booming..haunted
and crooning
...softened edged like the shadows
the blurry faces in frames
the locks on the door
shiny
locking us in
all the keys in her purse
locking them out
a flourescent hall
cold
dead engines cold cars

beneath the blare of
double bathroom lights
lipstick kissed wall
an overhead fan
wails
vibrating all night
long
drawing out the
pressure
the insence
calamity frothing
like the storm
of winter
the factory whistle
close
real close

between sobs
naked on your knees
and hands
you are wretching
throwing out the poison
the bracelets and
anklets i gave you
clinking on the tiles
the porcelain

the tv is happy
the silence before
"Our" song we dance
too

the winds gust and
shake the loose window
knocking down a figuring
and shattering it...

you shiver
and haul up all the
battles from the river
you wear in your middle

we shower hot
flushing away
the years rust
reticent
and receeding
crash sites

I prop a chair
under the knob

and turn the
record to the
other side...

stroke your damp
hair with your tiny
head on my big
chest

you count spinning
mad sheep
falling into your dreamworld

I sing along silent to the
songs
while the sillohuettes
drop slowly
waiting for the morning
whistle
for the sun
so I can sleep
..