Caroline Davidson

Una Corda


            Work while you can,
            his hopeless spirit thrived to him to say
            along those treacherous coasts.
                      -John Berryman


Watch the ferries leave
vulgar bells
chant   off with my livery
           off with my liver
—
Wade awake,
I have become obsessed with variable keys
and the wrong things to say to a person.
—
No anchors. No anchors. No anchors
—
Sentenced to more
years debased.
—
Go forth and dribble resin
neatly across my mouth.
—
The Black Sea reflex
turns away from bass
cliffs. Go ahead
and touch your
chord.
—
I'll wait for anyone to finish playing, then paddle out
land in
overstated strokes.
—
How clean
the coasts
can act.



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