tinderbox fingers will do when lightbulbs flicker out

by Jane Cope

---

The problem with catharsis or exorcism or whatever you want to call it is that frankly,
I get so bored of being dragged undertow to the same fuckin gash of a year with its dry beaches
& greased back seats,

but fine, have it your way, a McDonald's hamburger
with hundreds
of tiny onions, a small fry & a diet Coke, to go, please

I’ve always thought the more interesting story
was somewhere in the shapes we stretch into 
when it’s 4 am and the first bird of the morning tells us to quiet the fuck down, shhhhh,
shhh I can’t

I can’t press play again, stop
you’re making me laugh too much,
but you know, if you’re still

here with me, we could
totally make coffee,

just sayin.

Can I tell you about this thing?
I was taking the train home from work & locked eyes with some dyke
I used to know, forgot her name, which like, don’t we all get lost

to the gossip mill at some point? So we smiled across seats and though I wanted it to, my mouth
wouldn’t couldn’t open,

can you believe it?!?

why not, I said,
my daydreams are rainier than ever,
crazy lace agate. 

---

Jane Cope is a poet, translator, and educator. She is currently working on a series of poems about belief, madness, and the spiders in the room. She also hosts online community writing workshops and artist meetups through The PO Box Collective in Rogers Park.