Charles Alexanderfrom PUSHING WATER
part one
this man strange turning
forgetful though not in a line
abiding to want oranges and not a color so much as
through the tunnel pushing water
reading a turn into some blue note
ashes brass gate closed but a space under
level or tool for moving
same but shadows upon
brown boxes, books, yellow cat
nothing lists as if breathing matters, crocus
beside, along, otherwise aslant
and stripes, sure, can't away now or want
doing for reach, elbow still
surprises unfurnished, as though
leaving means line break, body
open, callous, asking without rancor
not what keeps
night's premise that points never starry
say what one wall, hearing owls among
rising a single point for
horizon's will, my or their intention
witnessed, ever, walking for
notions, encounters, as fine this hour
a line wants edge, aloof and
strengthened with no idea
ground upon lack turning other to cheeks' sadness
ripe, lively wanting or unstraightened
enough to place in mouth, hand, wash
taste down forks upon nothing
accordingly, original upheaval merges rimless
engraved with Defoe's initials plunging sea-like
concerned with the address of a rose
(static wanders to empty spaces cling true)
suits or untied hair muted
a long time ago a trumpet g-sharp to b, odd sonority
unfounded with an oboe, pierrot, re-beckoning
the border is not necessarily a margin
that gap water permeates / asking
hosannas to be silent / prayer may be received or taken
while sitting, facing wood, politics closed to mourners
another world jumps on fathers / some paragraphs
announcements and justice poses a fable
prayer and the book try to make responsible
deaf or out from under / that space the subsequent (previous)
appearance of children, imperatives, request
the occupation of bare feet, high sounding
in open territory or aware
part two
newspaper on the counter
strikes a chord, stem attached
can't recommend a board or
stain in cement from that public disunion
erupting in black white lettered squares
on tops of tables around the bend masking
where tenacity wins a day's approval brooding
before no stars / are you tracing
a line of exit from my ankle to cock, assuming
whenever money flees to prearranged adoption tears
several times in two days, arithmetic
words defined in acknowledge, fire tuned within
stories, transition and imported free of custom
writing as form of reverse, winged and baseless
believed she in angels and painted small numbers
white marks on black until drained, small
man with heart as head, literally
undone by fumes, horizons wanting place to breathe
savagely uttered fine droppings stain
to free basil humbly offers no pity
arc and foundational, light
as substance / he never knew what that meant
she sat on the sofa with her mouth open
filled with me, lasting evenings through shade
and allegiance false promise
as half part leaves the dark garden
cooing comes floating or speaking
it is a missed function, finally open to saying
one wants and wants not exactly
ecstasy but a touch to coming again and again
actual green wall and picture of cat near music
as if batteries matter
previewed to mass arching
wrapper hinged between two or more alternatives
materials infected / daily dispersion
and lack of candles telling children to sleep
too long for attention reading scrawls
from oak, alder, politic picking plum
to aphasia / render problem graphically
as bassoon under meadow grass rolling with her
bravo show a hit
where humor frames until
space deplanes declares abruptly gaping
crumble intelligence into back yards string determines
theory of presence, prayer
far rattle reaching solvent fray torrent soil
black to stand asking no fault
no red at all, still
part three
rising test scores to fifty per cent a balancing act
wide gap between free lunch and full pay
afraid of retension (fan shen / a village turns over)
a culture flags its children
and shares a bone moment of prayer
pain killers at hand seven days
and a bus ride to possible
extinction not a past in sight
in snow bound bundles
arguing budget lines through the wind / stability
or sustenance enchant
ties and laces underneath tables
through the frost
arrows pushing parts as final, mouth
utters small noise
from legs the time barters to state unless
yes please give me a call irises with names like riverbed rise
into cloud cover, aurora regrets not
strains in cotton from altitude frightened
children in closets
as national debt comes to equal executive compensation
afraid of children shouting at 3 a.m.
one two years old who says /
the yellow is gone / when she sees a billboard in three panels
of RGB instead of CMYK
there are pastures and horses
somewhere in northern Oklahoma riding four hours
stirs a stew conscious or not whole
ambidextrous only in baseball's green hat with A for a name
untended, unturned, unflappable, unscrewed, wide eyed long in the nose
He told a story of loss
but listening strayed to boxes on plains resembling hay
my uncle bundled when I knew where I lived where is
an I know that / no talent for riddle the first
person excised from will to burn / it did
happen it is happen it will happen arrogant
to a fall from grace
push to pay for prayer in a needlecap / tip
dripping unlike smearing or knots in lace
when found as arrow drew curtain reft wide road
buried in snow today in presence
girls made snow bunny less than week pre Easter
salad with spinach and crisp
memory, but never crisp or stale just broken, rose to
sky's pale gray for occasional porter
where no green makes knowledge under the table
with your leg between straws
prior to ache the whole of joy as utterance
tossed to play at some cost, indented
semblance of being physical come to
another's desire and walking around a block
with serendipitous leveling nothing
awkward the rain night's charm and apt
to love speech or keeping faith
within age rock and carving spires above eye level