by Eileen Myles

I may

not have

the time

for all

of this

but A) I

enjoy the

slap of

my flipflops

on the stair

& though my

name is

not Roxanne

I remember

when I

would’ve liked

that like

a girl playing

witch in

her yard

with jars

& spider

webs & the

world was

misty. A)

almost took

it all.

Even if I’m

not Roxanne

I know

you liked

my voice

in the

dark &

I did too

B) Rabbits

like to be

up and around

at twilight

& dusk ex-

actly when

I get

scared

Did stripes

come from

any place

else in nature

but a changing

sky & a

sad parent

fills a

room & before

a child can

think she

feels it

too. C) The

Tree. There

was a moment

of light

before I

got in the

car. The

tree was

that green

that holds

up the

procession

of this.

It is the

world.

D) And now

I will drive

home. I

looked at

a lamppost

just for

a sec.

Could Eileen

ever be

Roxanne?

No.