zafusy

from Severance Songs

Pieces of snow blow down like pieces of tea or
anything - the Lady is over the hill now
blinding all architectures with an aspirin wind -
fake gauze to justify cataracts and the swept arm
over a white field without crispness. Patience played
patience and mumbledy-peg with herself
and the wasp-waisted androgyne Death
wiped the bar while worlds looked busy.
Something too much of this - it’s only snow, nothing
you can consume without insides and a fire
to melt your chilling effect. Fitful patterns
form from your eyes’ refusal of gesture -
what goes on, we’re not looking, we’re inclined
analgesically into whiteout conditions of nerve.

Joshua Corey

from Severance Songs

What gives? Smoke, a shimmer, less—
a stirrup’s click of meeting, two skins,
rushes. Blind ears seek that beat—
another, another, then a lean, the hush of you.
We are sparks darkly visible, falling together,
just traces of avowal: an I found in E,
the A in barely, a-stray, in just
not quite missing this chance—
outflung sung gesture that you caught, your secret now.
Fallible this radiance, fragile as tuned glass—
you tilt me and I spill unsuspected light,
thrill of parting again into dark.
That which governed me to go about
aches in the new sound between us.

Joshua Corey