20 February 2006

[*label maker*]

the label maker in my hand I attacked the fridge.
sour cream: bad
apple: good
water: good
cheese: bad
diet coke: bad but good
yogurt: I’ll get back to you on that one

I spread to the sink. taptaptap print.
sink: clean me
tap: don’t drink from me
coffee cup: happy mornings
tea bag: one use only

the hallway said walk on me
my doorway said knock please
the television screams distraction
billy Collins and rilke stacked together say uh-huh
this labeling is getting out of hand.


on the balcony I put ‘mosquitoes stay away!’
then again in french
and creole, so the mosquitoes understand
anna’s door says ‘roommate’ and ‘hellohello!’ and ‘I love you’ just for reaffirmation
my flip flop says go to the beach
the toothbrush says I’m Lonely


my shoulder heavy/ my fingers stretch/ my forehead YES AND THEN>?
the words aren’t coming quick enough so
on the bathtub I just put brackets [[[[]]]]]] and on the mirror a percentage sign%

my cell phone says briiiiiiingggg which can be momentarily confusing
car says kitchen table; kitchen table says car; cartchen table says the toaster

alarm clock: Wednesday
candle: Martha
picture frame: I have a right to a trial!

anna comes home and wonders why all the popsicles say Take That.
maybe she won’t notice the quote marks on my earlobes.

4 comments:

hardyf said...

that's pretty great...getting all that stuff to say it for you - very nice. happy mornings. i have a label, written small and on my sleeve, [crush]. another on my palm that has been rubbed out.
have a fine day.

B Boutwell said...

I've read a number of your poems and flash fiction pieces. When I have time I'm gonna read on.

One thing I noticed: you have a comfortable/consistent voice.

I decided to link you-- hope you don't mind.

katy said...

"the words aren’t coming quick enough so
on the bathtub I just put brackets [[[[]]]]]]"

remarkable.

denielle said...

love this. funny how words and ideas are inscribed into things like sour cream and tea bags... and how the words change over time and space. cept yogurt, which is universally ambiguous!