i. in february
in february
when the cold cruises past
like a pet gander
in a snuffle of wind
when afternoon light
stumbles over the house
& the moon
elbows propped on the window
shimmy-shuffles in to our room
on cold hens feet
mercury curls in on himself
like an intestine
the tungsten frost
shunts the sky
like boxcars startled awake
& night
ratchets down on us
with a buzz
xiii. expecting / the sun
it has
jumped down
upon her
the sun
has jumped
& soon now
the moon
strolls slow
beside her
low inside her
like a white
foot
(floating)
v. pastoral
pastoral
crows
breaking winters entrails
shreds of fat
/dribbling
in their beaks
xiv. by the red river
by the red river
river so low
walk by the willows
feel the rains blow
feel the slow rains dear
feel the rains flow
september mornin
cold rain like snow
if you cant call now
call when you can
warm in your voice love
glad in your hands
you at my window
you at my door
hold me once more dear
hold me once more
leave you a letter
leave you this song
leave you my love dear
sayin so long
by the red river
river so low
walk by the willows
blowin in snow
ix. psychic
the hard thread
Fanicia
over it
hand full of tendons
they are yellow
her crochet
needle hooks like thumb bones
in my chest pulling
and pulling
tight
she is
twisting
she is twisting
the red and purple
ligaments
together
inch by inch
she is
drawing in
a bed-spread
the limp weight of it
drowning the mouth and nose
up and over
the broken parts
knitting
together
knotting
shut
me a linen doily in her hands
poetry generously shared with permission of author Dennis Cooley
all poems from "Bloody Jack," 1984