For Ashley

For Ashley, on her birthday

you were right to look in here . corybantes and the purr of tiger’s breath . heavy as the shade . animals come near in ways we’ve forgotten . their brave soliloquy of mind

when I say in here I mean the locust grove where you stumble over christ and he smiles at you like any shoe-lace 

 pheh! stubbed toe we cross by . bury the cross . the cross in matter the obstacle . bury your beast tooth in the soft skin of the earth . 

die Ungedanken  .  the stone

and where necessity digs into freedom there’s . the centurion’s tent . (gay Oedipusi?) there’s gold and forgiveness . a christ you can’t follow . in a good way . die Kraft the force of the craft . tongue buried in the parable of formica . 

speaks to the hand . hard . halting virginities . the great dragon of animal’s heads whispers its secret syntax . throw the locked doors away . he said . wise with herself . put your hand in my flesh .