Door in the Mountain: New and Collected Poems, 1965-2003

Still Life: in the Epidemic

ocean light big gold fish my new little father only a boy breathing on the window come on out you carry me I carry you light wave after wave swim cockatoo green, blue. Still Life: in the Epidemic Light old leaf spine fish spine bone green under-theocean light big gold fish my new little father only a boy breathing on the window come on out, My eggful of eggs floating opening up in your cream, up in your blood, Are you sick? Are you well? A blood sample will be taken from your arm with a needle and analyzed in a laboratory using a test called ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay). the river at wolf 185 If the ELISA test is positive, a second test, called Western Blot, will be run on the same blood sample to confirm the result. The palm of your glove is powder on my mouth, powder in my fear, your rough tongue your talk is warm on the cool hospital issue black silk blindfold crackhouse blindfold you green in the dark tying a rubber strap around my arm playing the radio your heavy head, green in the dark. Are you still in the room? Are you still in the house? Then you, Doctor, you say sincerely, “You can always go on suicide neutral, then everyone, from both sides, from his side and her side, will leave you alone.” And Mother State, you say, “You are not enough. I am. Eat me, and I will raise you up. On TV, eat me. Chew me, gingerly, like chewing ice, eat me. America. Eat me.” Ikon Swim in you, sleep in you, let me, Mother Lord, all this hour 186 door in the mountain ...