November
By Philip Jenks
something there is that loves
an arrow, or flattery like
when the current
or blaming mouths
in mirrors to private
discernment and alarms
engorge every room's
crease. you can't hear
how you sound
and the voice in your
head plus the ones that
surge. nothing can muffle it,
but everything shows up
instead.
Notice first,
groove in couch
or tore up face.
house no food
and he show up
on the third day,
shut in and announcing.
He shuffle some promise
which is just enough
to stave off
an evening out
taking cell pics
of yourself and all
those who meant so
much, who you can no
longer detect
save for screen
reflections and the outpost
toilet scene because
you agree with yourself
that it must be a case
of November.
Copyright Credit: Philip Jenks, "November" from Colony Collapse Metaphor. Copyright © 2014 by Philip Jenks. Reprinted by permission of Fence Books, www.fenceportal.org.
Source: Colony Collapse Metaphor (Fence Books, 2014)