Nonentity’ s birthplace: a front yard sweeps
its dirt clean. Devil hopped up the oak tree,
devil-take-the-profit seized
a jay in the twigs by the feet, wings buffeting
this child’ s cheeks to rhyme. Leaf of gift
box tissue folded over her pocket comb. Hind
pocket kazoo. Won’ t somebody please start
something other & oddball soon,
narrow her down out of folly
& trivia to destiny? But Whynot the tortie cat
flopped an irregular sunny patch,
wriggles & rolls & revives the blissy fits of ignorance.
Decades crunch as minor upcountry thunder. My nod
to Mastermind’ s robot rabbit, said to dwell in his top
hat, who tips me a silk evening. Gloaming again & never
far from home. Listen you hoots: alas for me, for my love
with the gallant and grifter soul has tucked
into just the crevice he feared. Fear told
& tells him the truth, so he trusts it. Listen
you hollers, whatever you had in mind for me.