The Festival of the Dew Carriers

pt.1 a thin man all bone

I had a little puppy
His name was Tiny Tim
I threw him in a bucket
To see if he could swim.

He drank up all the water
He ate a bar of soap
Now he's foaming in a panic
Like a mother-fucking dope!

I called him in the doctor
I called him in the nurse
I called him in the lady with the alligator purse.

I did it with the doctor
I did it with the nurse
I did it with that lady and her alligator purse!

pt.2 the sun in her eyes

over the mountains
and the shadows of buildings
against the sky
you can still see light
where the sun used to be
as clouds turn red then black
like a bruise
like your eye after the mosh pit
like my thumb after the catch-gear

Then the mountains disappear
and there's nothing left to live for
and we all die for the night
just like that.

pt.3 play dead

come closer child
he whispered sweet
as I felt his hand caress my back
his breath was warm
his hands were too
and I kissed the gentle part of his neck
said I loved him
and forever
and all the other words that came

he told me about the sea
and the river styx
and the serpent king
and other tales

I told him about over there
and under the rock
and thursday evening
and things

We walked along the cliff-edge
and flew a kite over the ocean
and held hands against the wind

and he played the traveling doctor
and I played the traveling dead

pt.4 when in rome

things that bounce (a list):

small blue rubber elephants
larger rubber bats
oysters if you eat them wrong
snails if you dare
rice thats spoiled
eggs, once boiled
sisters thrown
lawn, once mown
swings and rings and party hats

rocks on water
socks for jumping
stocks last friday
box today

hello little box
hello to you too, me
let's be friends!

pt.5 crazy eight

sink like a stone
rock like a rollercoaster

pt.6 water at dawn

the light through the curtains
reveals your chest
hairy and wet with dew.

I lick it clean
and you make breakfast
scrambled
with toast
but I've fallen back asleep
like I do
and you carry me to bed
tuck me in good night
and sing a little song
then close the door behind
and take the light out with you

This goes on for weeks at a time
or maybe months
or years

time escapes
when I close my eyes
and see the future in
colors brighter than life:
the endless parades
- in my honor, of course
with horse-drawn carts
and ferrets in trees
and you there beside me
with dew on your breast
so tall as you stand
all naked and bone-sharp
but one elbow round
from falling on ice
how many years
before I was born.

Your forever is too short for me.
I'll never wake up.

pt.7 skipping rope

fuck me once
shame on you
fuck me again and again and again!