The Poetry Project

Octopus

Eileen Myles

How many
things
in your home
still have barcodes
on them
You’ve just
given up
I loved your dreams
about hungry
children
and neighbors
getting hit
by your shower
from a hole
in the wall
right up
there. I had
to stop
reading
and write
this. That I re-
member
what you forgot. Who
ever
you are. Whoever
you are
it’s mostly over
and that
creates a dazzling
cleared
space in the
forest where Adam
& eve fucked
and that’s
how you anticipated
it and now
you anticipate
it again
like a lollipop
falling
down & hitting
you on the
head. You’ll
be scarfing
it up like
a little
dog and you’ll
get a little
dog, a big
one a dog
called Day
and you’ll
be a couple
of hoboes
travelling
around in the world
while living
in a small farm
in the city
and the waters
will rise
is that the
end
cause that’s
beautiful.
I think
it is.

It’s still
humming
in here. A procession
of jingling
hums
and they are
the people
waiting to
talk to you.
And they
are your
friends.
It’s just
your old building
talking back
& that’s the square
of silver
that holds
everything
there’s all
sorts of antique
touches
don’t get all ex
cited
you just didn’t
want to
work and the
night never
ended. What

would
you do if
it did end

Towers rising
you just get sil
lier &
sillier

The siren
sweet kisses
the night
like a dangerous
cupid

you think about
having
sex with every
one & then
you close
your door.
All the work

is almost done.
That’s the most
mundane
line. What
does mundane
mean. If you
have a very
large dog
you might
say this
is mundane.

I say Day
and I
throw
my arm
around
his neck.
My dog
smiles.

Issue 10

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