BEWARE OF THE DOG
The idea of a
dog. The animal itself
is never enough.
Ladder
In the hierarchy of regret,
the deer lie down
in the gaze of the rifle.
Sacrifice is preassembled
and simple to swallow.
Photographs have no teeth.
Cars run on the fumes
of our anger.
In this ascension of grief,
you no longer wake
between the rosebuds of my sheets;
I labor at an office
that takes my hands and feet:
each by each for the fire.
We work to pay the rent.
We warm ourselves on flesh.
We keep the heat
best used in kiss
for cruel post-commital sex.
The Cat and Rabbit Log: Housesitting, The Sequel [@ Kim and Karin's House]
Saturday 3/6/2004:
cats inform me that there is PIZZA! in the fridge. casually, mention their love of sundried tomatoes. hazel [the rabbit] prefers haycakes.
Sunday 3/7:
watch bridget jones' diary and eat pizza. glad there are no cats (as indicators of loser-hood) in the film, as I already appear to be moving down the path of cheese-related obesity, and am single.
Monday 3/8:
hazel and i read almost an entire memoir called "goat." hazel says, "goat?" why not "rabbit?" this ends in a discussion of chaucerian animal imagery, then and now.
Tuesday 3/9:
finish "goat," much to hazel's protests. linus [marmalade-colored boy cat] suggests that we read something with pictures. lucy [feminist black-and-white girl] suggests that we switch to karen finley's memoir/collected writings, "a different kind of intimacy."
Wednesday 3/10:
continue reading karen finley. discuss art and obscenity with various animals.
Thursday 3/11:
lucy has finished karen finley without me. suggests that we switch to mary oliver, more likelihood of birds or squirrels.
Friday 3/12:
i catch lucy knocking over the trash and ask if she is searching for performance props in early karen finley style.
Saturday 3/12 [my projection of tomorrow]:
linus claims that he could get utis [urinary tract infections] as easily as lucy, even as a guy, and he tries to weasel in on lucy's food bowl, claiming that karen finley would find separate food discriminatory.