Nathan Lefkoff
Calculated Poetics
5/23/13
“Mantis! praying mantis! since your wings’ leaves
And your terrified eyes, pins, bright, black and poor”
-Zukofsky
“River that must turn full after I stop dying
Song, my song, raise grief to music
Light as my loves’ thought, the few sick
So sick of wrangling: thus weeping,
Sounds of light stay in her keeping…”
-Zukofsky
“The Rhino is a lovely beast…”
-Zukofsky
Eyes and lips, eyes and lips
now you are a lovely beast
and I, a lonely mantis.
Forelegs folded, stone upon stone
thus weeping.
Once for preying, these arms and body pray now
in dream and in sentient thought
for a death or a birth.
Enough with this weird limbo.
After I stop dying
I will be borne into my mind that bares the weight of your eyes and lips.
The night sky dangles a faraway planet
which looms like a beautiful ghost
and hopefully someday
will come circling back to these arms akimbo.