SHIRA SEGAL

THE TABLE THAT DOESN'T EXIST

alan you are my WATER FAUCET OF IDEAS
like it's no big deal to BE A COUNTRY
OWN A CURRENCY with DISCOLORED EYES
and A QUEEN to accompany you
to rule ALL THINGS THAT CAN BE
including ELECTRIC CABLES IN BODIES
BETWEEN LEGS AND BRAINS
while ARE MEN in a foreign bed
and men on one way ticket draft cards
THE ORGANISM THAT HOUSES YOUR MIND
will WALK WIDE AND STRIDE
and NATURAL SELECTION will make MEN
THROW THEMSELVES OFF 2ND STORY WINDOWS
because it involves MORE THAN SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST
and THE WILL OF MEN To be evil and kill all evils
To CONTINUE BLOOD LINES Of men
means INVADING THE WOMAN'S MIND
SAILING THE SHORES of her outline
IN A LIFEBOAT in A COLORING BOOK
where the only colors are BLACK AND WHITE
and you are the only to KISS THE LAND
THAT IS MINE IN YOUR MIND
COLOR AGAINST THE CURVES COLOR THE CURVES
PRESS HARD AGAINST THE OUTLINE TAKE TIME
where the colors get confused
and YOU BECOME MY KINGDOM
there will be a complete WORLD WAR
and the only REWARD will be SILENT BLOOD
and useless currency
and WE'LL SIT BACK AGAINST THE RUBBLE AND LAUGH
EAT IN ALL THE PANCAKE HOUSES OF THE WORLD which WE'VE
DESTROYED
PLAY FOOTSIE UNDER THE TABLE that doesn't exist
and neither will the 7 STATES between us
or the time difference because a SAFETY IN MY BED
means at all hours unconditional
and even if PUCK RAN AWAY
i'll buy weekly catfood with you
be your REGULAR BASIS against VENETIAN BLINDS
for FOLDING HANDS and A KNOWLEDGE BRAGGING MACHINE
where the MOUTH AND BREAST ARE so CLOSE TOGETHER
lady of my soul lay me down
fill each space and conquer
kiss the soil of soul of soul to blood
boiling the spoon no more



NEIGHBOR

brooklyn
the first morning around the block
an old woman second story
leans her window Hello
what day is it what month what year
very inquisitive indeed
how's the weather from the second story
how's your heart
did you know that schizophrenia means broken hearted
are you that
do you ever leave
does someone take care of you
would you like a hamster
don't think of it as a rodent and you'll be fine
don't think of the president and you'll be fine
don't ever leave brooklyn
you're on the set of sesame street
you're no old at all
that's just makeup
see you're fine
we're all just pretending
come here
we'll play volleyball
you're not old
nobody died



GODS OF THIS GALAXY

we are the counterculture travelling caravan of soul of the immortal
and as gods of this galaxy i'd like to declare every minute
an international holiday to honor you with because you have become my nation
let me be yours and we'll unblindfold the child that is us
and all the days i've got to love you with



FLIRTATION BABY

boyfriends are successions of confessions and sidewalk kisses
preferring human flesh over synthetic drug
writing sentences that declare our definition
starting statements with I AM
we're probably lying and still desire definition once the poem is done
i never made a goal of someone's lips
but my hips and belly have housed the penises of great men
genius injections of indifferent things turned romantic
until after i'm menopausal faking this fuck trip
like a chef who serves the finest gourmet dish
but is too poor to taste the ingredients
i am learning to taste the spices this body is made of
and to revenge this by living great
breathing and blinking by will
the un-pornographic woman in the moon
which is the womb i create around my head
the lullaby i tuck myself in with
there is still comfort in the places i let them lean into
outside my window is inside my head this bed
and other spaces which i lean
where i do the leaning