Andrew Lundwall (Rockford, Illinois, USA): from Gardening at Night: Aftermath

threatening
the cards with pictures
of our smiles pasted on
slide across the table
single file

my inability to anchor
makes everything go wrong
it's not how old i am
it's how old i feel

gone to numb
be back in an hour

the hospital of all our tears
is cranked up with silly gas
is vomiting potatoes and jello
is under the shocked glow of electrocuted lights

i can't make any promises
i can't make it to a meeting
they don't want me on the premises
all that i can seem to do
is write some stupid manifesto
that i hope someone someday'll read

we're communicating by sign language now
the house is very quiet in a foreign tongue
my language won't let me take exile anywhere
it's best to keep quiet don't wake the place
that preface that wouldn't have us to begin with

© Andrew Lundwall 2008