2. because I could bask in her affluence like yellow fire

3. because touching her is 500 micrograms of pure heat absorbed through the fingers tipped with butter & seasoned with gold

4. because gold is a sexy color & god is too the great act of causing distractions is what desire is all about

5. because there are eight rocks in my heart eight reasons for being wrong eight rhythms in my heart eight hearts growing out of my shirt

6. because there are billions of light bearing ball bearings in the sky

7. fall rapid night slip your fingers through the 700 foot gorge at Watkins Glen

8. because I am hovering dangerously close to her name

9. because in eight beats the whole world is pressed into rose chains around your neck

10. because her breasts are pressed flush against the sky breasts that sag to her waist

11. because it's a dry dry dry dry world-with a fish in its mouth

12. because she lays awake & sees a visionary Indian bedroom, a lake formed of mushrooms under a totem hawk

14. because when I'm with her I'm a rattlesnake

15. because she is lissome & proud & her elevator goes all the way to the top

16. because she is a rotating restaurant lit from inside a velvet bathrobe full of daisies & pumice

17. because Lunch would be great. Because guilt is inedible.

18. Because there are no mistakes, only opportunity setting a trap

19. because she's sixteen if she's a nickel and I am twice thirteen a boy

20. because she wouldn't have to ask me twice

21. because she is an eagle chasing an owl and a woman's face dreaming sideways in the crown of a tree

22. a bug-headed trumpet star a mermaid with snake arms

23. an Indian mask with vertigo eyes

24. a fish shouting a fish with tadpoles dreaming in its mouth of a star-blue hurricane

25. dream on woman walking dream on your son is come home five hells below him three hells above

26. dream on an angry kangaroo is coming to put a headlock on you

27. - think of these surreal objects: the last angel of history looking into the rearview mirror of a Mercury wing cap-and a pair of electric socks. blowing sunny through twin saxophones like video spaghetti at possession-a snake playing congas, the thirdeye filmmaker. was it the sun or a spider coming up you saw caught in the mirror, twin waterbearers potato bug mandolin a woman named Soap?

28. Resurrect sunset

29. Shake some tail fanny

30. The bottom dollar sailor what wonderful feeling in his mouth

31. The sand is perpendicular, no sideways, & I'm mowing the lawn

32. We'll make what music of what we have this boy with a bicycle on his head three winged lightbulbs a crab married to an anteater or siamese twin rabbis hung by their tongues

33. The girl with the bicycle head is floating on air this other one has a puzzle for brains

34. Or is that a stomach where funny barren trees twist out of the underground street skull of a woman under watertowers or more trees & a birthday cake hat

35. Because not jewels but eyes myrhh fallen from Indra's net mirrors reflecting the mirror falling & golden star eyes sweet breath of pink aren't they yours aren't they golden or blue stars? "I am my father's girl. In the mirrors of your eyes I speak thee comfort"

36. Because I'll do whatever she wants & feel grateful for the chance

37. Because "purity of heart is to will but one thing"

38. Because that's another impossible demand

39. Because the sun enters her front door in May under the sign of the battered Toyota

40. Because once you get an idea of who you are you quit improving

41. Because the sign of the times is not a battered old man

42. Because a bass clarinet is clearing out its nose

43. Because this is bugging me this morning: how people kept telling her, when her first boyfriend died, there was something more beautiful about her while she was mourning

44. Because we'll make what music we can of this

45. Music in time, architecture in space, dance in body, poetry in words

46. The lady of revelations, taken off to be nourished for a time, in time, the white-painted lady for a time

47. Tins full of sea urchins tiles roofs glass harmonicas

48. Oh and if anyone meets this woman please tell me

49. "don't let her go"

© 2001 Dennis Formento