In Tribute to her Manic Self


she swept dingy red tornadoes under my toenails
spoke of love when she knew there wasn't any

took to sunday love bootlegging
& dancing as a means of transportation

salvation she poured into shot glasses,
meticulously arranged against rain shattered porch railing

suggested aphrodisiacs & vinegar
as a remedy for restlessness

wore blue static underneath her dress tail
inside her hips

used bubblegum to document her days
cinnamon =ed passion filled romantic wanderings

induced labor with meditation
weaned her babies by the signs

searched three days for the big dipper, the little one
& the intermediate one she made up

because she's comfortable with the living;
making it up as she goes

turning cartwheels
burning linens

never worrying about the aftermath
never wondering where it all went wrong.