magnetism
early morning sudbury, 
sun a bright coin
dug from the mines.
thin spikes of light
cut on jagged rock
drive straight through town.
squeal of a semi's brakes
thrown like a sound effect.
half of each 
house,
yard,
gravestone 
hit head on.  
the rest, shadows
dense as stone.
here is a town
that carves its own rules
for nature.  amendments 
scarred inside a cave
with John + Carole
and Fuck U 2.
April in Ottawa
with her coiled bracelets,
explaining the supposed magnetism
of copper to human electricity.
the girl in the window
with April's long hair
in a nightgown,
seeing the bus pass
:even now 
its pulling sudbury 
out of bed,
pulling by the blood.
like sadness, slowly
and from the feet up.
(by now
writing you this letter
I can feel it in my hands