undertow.
perched
on a cliff
like a bird
with the birds
perched
above the pieces
of the beast
that almost took me
i am perched
above the perch
bound by rolling verdigris
above the slag of weather wearing
above the blunt-force
√ertices
zeolite visages are scowling
ascension awful oxidation
derision vision beeline mortal
craggy clutches, bloodied knees
per this perch
a scents sensation
all receptors by the bootstraps
pisces husk not chief amongst them
astride a chariot called gale
the smell of hanging ten grim reapers
liquidating human assets
a grand perfume of chums as chum
odors that quint could not describe
¡abandon perch!
the stench is stinging
yet there's more to sick than sniffing
try vomiting in two-inch voices
o what a woeful din it is
the sound of teenaged cabin fevers
pontoon pond scum undeterred
an orchestra of god damn sloshing
a reminder of the choking
& for half a breath, the gasping
& for anything, the grasping
atlantis kaiju on the rocks
acerbic thanks for a phobic dawn
this water differs, not completely
less undulation and less frothing
but that is how it grifts and cons you
hypnotizes and beguiles you
restrains your limbs with seaweed sinkhole
as it whispers in your ear
“i am safety ~~
i am soothing ~~
i will gift you dreams eternal ~~
never mind that sordid feeling ~~
it’s just my body in your lungs”
yet still i perch
along the coastline
despite infrequent teetering
strangely secure in league with seabirds
biting a thumb at skate & prawn
seduced by undulate refraction
fractured bluffs and marine death
the mise en scene offset the stage fright
painted postcard coup de grâce
as sun dogs shatter anguishackles
runes mature into christ air
chroma crystallize as cuirass
cosmos and -cosms, commandant
so i’ll gaze in contradiction
perched with all senses aligned
endlessly loathing that i’m loving
this perverted siren song
