[SIDE A] [ˈi-nə-sən(t)s]

nose to jowl then                 dumbass dog, unleashed
the much beloved                 the slobbering

kiss       then shoulder-butt                      opposite paw
yanked down                 growl

not quite whittled                piece of silver in the eyes             & if fog
is just blue light igniting grasses   & if

I could run to the sea                       or for the first time ever
not be underfoot                                    heaps

of fur then & dander                  nose buried       growl
buried                      & if skinned knee is prayer

& sunlight just darkness cornered then fence rail
stilettoed grasses            animal up & galloping

nipping heels     shaking as if drenched       & if I become
a statue perpetually folding its hands

I’ll be glad to be alone again                    where no one comes
& if I am a door             into silence (still panting)

plague-stink in the creek
(still panting)                   & if Ohio Blue Tip

is coarse grain masquerading                               as fire
then creek suck (burning)  blistered thumb (burning)

boy body                       bundle of balsa wood bone
piece of wind          & a kite string                            & a tongue

[SIDE B] [ik-ˈspir-ē-ən(t)s]

I was an affordable boy               American Dream death scene
I had that princess walk                          underwritten

by shimmer                   all young boys have
pants ambivalent                                    shoes like an empty set

of cans              windy echo of a man’s voice in the ear
& so I kept leaving                     always leaving

bird beyond the tree line calling   a name there also
tiny mirrors                   could they listen

& then that voice searing the air     where did it come from
huge wet bulk (his)                      mechanism of hurt

stamping                       what was empty or full beside it
& so I kept wording through it                the sentence

in my head igniting something                 grass, but not grass
more a field, say                         flat, spreading

but then deep night again                                    (his breaths)
ruling sleep                    & if a window suddenly opened

it was time, tunneling                  time with a moon still in it
backyard maple reduced to chalk             & if limb

then shadow      & if shadow then bare feet cold
to the floor                                tree like a voiceprint

of knives suddenly fallen             until my heels
hit grass, toes          spittled dew                    & both said run