My animal's all dressed up
in frothy, languorous petticoats tonight,
in bright hard glitter and a beat of blood.
She's been to a party, she's been talking with you.

She's been leaning up against the fruit trees
in the garden out back, full of coarse stars.
Give me, give me, she says.

She hitches homeward
from the night of tossed-up crinolines
eyelashes and bare arms--

She comes home with hot coals,
to me.

I fall into bed, disconnnect
the fiery diodes,
play my heart with a spoon,
chew on foil--

waiting, shiny with the fanaticism
of a new affair.



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