A March

Lesson of the day: Syria and Styria.

For Syria, read: His conquering banner shook from Syria.

And for Styria: Look at this harp of  blood, mapping.

Now I am tuned. I am going to go above

my voice for the sake of the forest shaken

on the bitumen. You can see stars in the skulls,

winking, synapses, intermittent, on edge

of shriek — perhaps a cluster of fir, birches? — 

Anyways. Don’t get too hung up

on the terms; they have entropy

in common, bad for the public weal,

those obtuse centurions in the flare

of the bougainvillea, their patent-seeking

gift kindled. Divers speech. Cruelty.

Justice. Never mind, but do

pay attention to the skirmish — the white

panther that flitters up the pole — 

its shade grows large on the ground.