CLOWNS OVERHEARD WHILE ASSEMBLING A PUZZLE

-- after Mary Szibist

Clowns are insincere painted intention and backlit
extension cords lures of blood sickles stolen
from the moon false crescents insistent
that what you see is not ghostskin haunts
no one stalks no one because artifice demands
laughter and attention but we all know death
when we see them

I KNOW THE DOOR MAKES ITS OWN OPENING

I know the door makes its own
opening someone says
and so the boar begins
in water the boar begins
boarlet star prick bright
all our pink devotion swelled
in plumes to and of her
feet because she is both boar
bird and boar tusk sharp
at her shin where she lives
cordoned either animal or young
tail and ivory curled indoor
not ouroboros but nautilus

I know the boar makes her own
opening someone says
and so the door arrives
as passage the door arrives
partition assembles and enters
the narrative vermillion
where two trees barrow to
make one bough one boar
dear fledgling that she is

LAISSE TOMBER LES FILLES

you of all people you of all
people you of all know you

know animal creature you of
all want all creature your way

into room any room any room
that caves to whole help

for you all caving all fall
your selving your calving

your falling of people all
people your calving you know

your animal lives here
you creature you crater

you tomb

Corinne Dekkers is a Canadian-American poet. Her work can be found through Denver Quarterly, Smartish Pace, Fonograf Edtions, and elsewhere. She lives and teaches in Illinois.