Book Excerpt: Peony Vertigo

A ROLLER COASTER, A HIT, A PINT-SIZED DEVIL MACHINE,

SOME DARK CHOCOLATE

I stole from you a noun

hijacked a verb

I declared I’m mostly female, a peony

in the mouth of spring, too late

I’ve constructed a gorgeous building equal to or better than

any one of Gehry’s, made from my and Lou Reed’s

cross-dressing days               Be careful in the large

incarceration space of America         be very careful

                                          *****

AFTER-IMAGE

During the scant time between our births        me and my brother

Both grandfathers died and one grandmother

came to live with us                 then three younger sisters

                        This being the order of external events

            Internal ones   beyond our grasp

                                   *****

PART STAR, PART VENOM                     PART BONE, PART MICROPLASTIC

We are greatly swayed in our thinking

                        by the rabbit sketched on the full moon’s face

            Her tattoos are unexpected⎯hundreds of ants climbing up and down

arms and legs

                                    I wondered what trail they are following

I said quietly, the ants are here now    They are your friend

            Don’t be afraid

            of anything