Pleiades

Pleiades

Who drives 50 miles to see kittens? We did.
You recall, I even packed a sandwhich or two.
The superfluous "h" denotes extra ham.

Admittedly, a bit of a whim. Who needs a cat?
We did, apparently. If your left eyebrow was
13% more plucked I would've missed the hint.

You wanted a male, and he was the only one.
Seven sisters squirming. Driving back, that
cloudless night in May, the name came to me.

c. Ciprianowords, Inc. 2010

Reasonable Facsimile

Reasonable Facsimile

Back in the day, and admittedly, you were not born yet
but I was already past high school, college, and worried
that my urine was trickling slower than last year they had
contests where you did not even need the original form.

I forget [Alzheimer's?] what it was called but it
was as if they were going to trust that you had seen the
factory model. And somehow misplaced it. Here, just
take this piece of paper. Get a pen. Sit down and --

There was a time when I could have spelled my name
and yours in that very snowbank, glistening golden.
With punctuation. But time marches on. Things
-- change that empty space there into what they call a

c. Ciprianowords, Inc. 2010

Sleep

Sleep

The first effect is gravity. The situation
of being sideways. One with the horizon.
As Heart says That's more like it
Brain tells hundreds of switchboard
operators they can punch the clock.

We're going into auto-pilot. Voluntary
muscles de-conscript -- ........ now!

c. Ciprianowords Inc. 2010

The Upright Position

The Upright Position

I knew it was ten without counting. Because
instantly I knew everything. The cabbie that
hit me would die from a heart attack twelve
years from now. Huffing and puffing, yelling
in whatever language, I saw him dialing on
his cellphone -- and a volcano fuming away.

Squares sort of revolving, and as they spun

Coming out of a homeless shelter throwing
a sandwich against the curb shouting, Fuck!
Stale! Seeing me, the same man pointed
laughing. And a baby was crying in a crib.

they became triangles, and now ten perfect
spheres were the backsides of the squares.

A girl lit a candle and stuck it in the neck of
a wine bottle. Sitting on the floor she moved
a ruby-red gem on a game board and a man
cried Damn. A pilot flicked a switch as eight
wheels came out of the belly and a steward

I realized, I guess, in that eternal moment
that there are no shapes -- only angles.

told a nun in full habit to return her tray to

c. Ciprianowords, Inc. 2010

Ground Zero

Ground Zero

Where the towers had been we walked
Groves and I did The steel frame in
scattered shards here and there jutted
like a menacing stegosaurus Dead
from a bout with mathematical perfection

We spoke little knowing that worse would
pounded not into cactus and dirt days
hence but people be dropped Silent we
listened to sand turned to green glass
break apart under our boots

From there to the transport his hand
was on my shoulder Every step an echo
that this damn crunching is what the
earth sounds like when it cries On a
fuck-hot afternoon July of 1945

c. Ciprianowords, Inc. 2010

Periphery

Periphery

Thankfully Puerto Vallarta has Walmex.
Second day in, I bought a racquet there.
Might have been your skirt, your mane,
or the way both bobbed, swaying, bringing
the corner of my eye to the balcony.

Third day, I was out there with my Yonex.
Walking around, waiting for no-one, while
the ball-machine spat yellow missiles.
Nothing got past your Prince. On a bench
I died death after death. Sweating.

Fourth day, fifth. I'm sitting there dissecting
every grunt. You bent to tie a lace, and I
leaned over heaven's banister. Without
looking left, you caught that bullet in your
hand. And I knew, I should go now.

c. Ciprianowords, Inc. 2010.

The Pines

The Pines

After the break, when she said it’s over
he found himself often among the trees
surrounding Pink Lake. But he was never
alone. Two boots, two legs, but never a
breath he took, without her.

It was the green needles, piercing him.
Smell is the sense that most reminds.
But he did not think this as he walked,
he just breathed, in and out. Knowing –
do not go home just yet. -- Walk.

c. Ciprianowords, Inc. 2010

This Side of It

This Side of It

I feel, more than anything, [pause] No, but listen. To continue to misunderstand each other as we've been doing this whole time it's just / it seems so childish. [pause] OK, but isn't it possible to you that I felt the same? [pause] About you, yes, the way you were -- [pause] Admitted. Conceded. You win that one. But what do you think I've been doing since? Striking at a pinata somewhere? [pause] It's not at all what it looked like -- No. No, I disagree. I could not care if his address were Third Crater, Mars. In fact, I wish [pause] Yes. I know where that is. [pause] I can be there sooner than that.

c. Ciprianowords, Inc. 2010

Thursday: 1:08 a.m.

Thursday: 1:08 a.m.

Uncanny how I looked up, not needing to know
the time. Sensing the hands unmoving
minutes later, my gaze confirmed it.

Nothing a new battery can't fix, and so
in one goes. Later, pages later, I glance.
Has the world stopped spinning?

I smile because I've outlived this device.
But when does the parade start?
One second I will exhale myself.

Tickless, tockless.
Not -- knowing -- what --
-- time -- it -- is.

c. Ciprianowords, Inc. 2010