GOOSEFLESH
This is that laid bare.
Is for example
him crouching by window briefed chilled and benighted awaiting the thought. Gooseflesh
he is and little else
when it comes down to it. Not for him cufflinks, the clinking heaviness
muffled nor laces to patent leather nor kidskin. Nor bowtie his
the motheaten stuff or nothing at all and you can be sure
that two of the two always are denied him. In a house like this there are so many closets and so
many locks. If he has a specialty it is to ken all that are kin to him. For example the nosebleed
unnoticed by the bleeder, split skin in the corner of the mouth.
FEBRIS
In my lifetime I’ve been given two drawings of a fever. One was body within body within body
and some exponential notation. One was lines as if light in slowed sight. Neither fever was mine.
My fever will only bear singing.
HOME AGAIN (FEBRIS VULGARIS)
druther bathe in the dark.
in the flood irrigation
neath neglected trees.
it’s severe unkingly but.
inside the electric light
urine the close hot smell
and there in the mirror.
don’t want to breathe want to
be clean
ON THE KNEELERS
we received instruction
do not seek to destroy do not
wear fuchsia-colored things raiment
shall be of indigo children
of any sex shall be named mildred doris
dorcas phyllis–
HELL THE LONG SWEATY SLEEP
Hell the long sweaty sleep
and Hell to wake
to preparatory sounds;
zippers, spirits on the stair,
pianos being tuned
yes it was red yes this affirmative is all that I can do for you
correct. Hell is a paper and not a foil town. they use talc there to unstick themselves from
everything, white clouds seething from underneath each
shirtsleeve white spray creeping up the neck. in the powder you can see
the pattern of liquid on the skin where it was frozen by
Progress, Savagery
preserved
JORDYN MURRAY is a writer, performance artist and papermaker from Arizona. She currently studies at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Her poetry collection Listen Cloistered (2016) is available in a hand bound letterpress edition by Black Thumb Press.