Five Poems by Artie Gold  novel A very large ball of twine. all the highways I've made mistakes along examine a length like a swimmer's arm. drawn up to th shoulder. 23 miles Boulder to Golden freezing sleet rockies foothills past th flatirons. friend i'd dropt out with frm guadalajara passt joint back forth shivered. don't remember his name. hip though. Valley hiway 115 arvida to aurora another friend, ford. blue small but very powerful. no cops saw us. but leaving colfax one left turn their flashing red plastic drencht us. have you ever seen th st louis arch gleaming in the neon fresh of crisp diamond morning? have you ever ferried down west 6 usa gotten off 80cents past larimer walked th small wide streets of predawn quaint beer-town? ever seen moose mother with 1 brat rush th tarmac of foggy outer marathon ever kiss a midnight laundromat table hello after coasting durango gorges? found green river pleistocene mammals teeth turned opal eyesockets onyx? shot novacaine understood fire engines. fine-rolled steel arguing morality. it is late but it is early. It is so cold i feel illegal i enter the icy darkness push off with one arm glide past only fish. afterwards my silver ring begins to leave my finger for the clay-dark bottom. i never followed never touched it again never went where it went. i was totally responsible. my body projecting above the glass offered itself to mosquito rapids like the eye crossing white water. not like mercury in a watchglass no.