manifesto Jun 24, 2010
gathered before thirty odd friends and family in the park,
she stepped atop a knee high stone wall or bench
and opened her mouth.
people walking past beyond this group of forty or so
turned their faces toward this meek young woman,
clutching in nervous hand a written page
and across her tongue and flipping onto the stones beneath
came forth a guppy with a single yellow stripe.
she cleared her throat;
a sea urchin emerged bloody with spines slowly oscillating
like caterpillars.
one of the fifty came forward with a white napkin
and was struck down by a snake quick and angry,
sharp eyes and teeth smooth scales to the bushes,
out of the sun where she sat exhausted,
but there was more to read in hand now not nervous but
shaking with thrill.
the hundred gasped when a yellow neck rose up
and a great gray beast leaped and cracked the stones
and the thousand made way as newt hid, eagle
bore down on the air, octopus bubbled, jaguar slank,
lemur grasped, horse hooves clicked (legs unsteady),
pidgeon cooed (crunching centipede), ape cried in fear,
and dog hustled, all to be free
of the million eyes closing on her again
and finding only empty clothes
and a bit of blood
and moisture.
manifesto
linked from:
- an essay for humans
- Where does the song go when the needle is lifted?