Top Dollar, and: Too Grassy, and: Green Pastures, and: Flock Hard

110 JORDAN STEMPLEMAN TOP DOLLAR It’s no wonder I’ve never seen a clear bathtub since staring at one life is hard enough. Imagine the creator of absence, and now imagine having them over for dinner, and finally, consider how in god’s name you might explain a boat ride, your life story, the third largest animal you ever raised. There are those days when all we do is eat. A head has the smallest opening. If you speak directly into it, I’ll go out looking for my missing pants, my best pants, lost in this wide open city. 111 JORDAN STEMPLEMAN TOO GRASSY But you’re lean and fit, you’ll finish me before I’m right. I’m not following the stretch of that part where we part laughing. I’ve landed myself sailing and underdressed, calling what’s indeed—sweetheart—what’s wrong— waiting in the next room on your left—what’s morning— my noble dang thing. It’s why I look as I do, stilled by this late June stuffing—our apartment filled with hundreds of gang members counting off by fives. 112 JORDAN STEMPLEMAN GREEN PASTURES This is no galleria, but a real nipple factory that’s finally hung up its sinking island for the promise of one night skies and the patience to heal. Aster and ‘some like traffic,’ aside from the more famous, have shown up under threat of life and limb. Vague memories will now one day hear about the notorious phone that quit ringing. Criteria? Entirely. Do you need one more year? Never. Some days are called off for emergency and understanding. The irresponsible go haywire for hands-on blackouts. And we know, this is the time to see one another as deadly, since we mimic the darkness, scooting along to kiss one another by forcefully bumping our eyes. 113 JORDAN STEMPLEMAN FLOCK HARD There are millions who’ve polished wood, reached where they’ve wanted, cut the grass on an empty stomach, then wavered when calmed by the times. To depend best lives on through its word. On horseback, the cheese tasted powerless. The blind spots are stubborn and measured to go nowhere just below our centers, so that when we finally left all the animals behind, the walk back seemed to follow the miles that stayed. There are flowers where there shouldn’t be. They mean what we don’t remember, they’ll get away with what they can. ...