Rae Armantrout

Counting came first,then worry.

Was someone missing?

‘First’ came afterwards.

                *

Worry came first,

as in fidgeting,re-ordering,

Our universe is tattooedon the inner lipof a black hole’s event horizon

and a columbinejerks stiffly in the wind.

It doesn’t mindor has no mind;

it lives to be readby insects.

*

This child is merryand lonely.

She twinkles knowinglyat no one

like a revolving dooror star.

In one viewshe is being stretched out

in another she’s travellingin and in

In the first placethe idea was

to gaugehow far or near

certain hotspotson my closed eyelids

were from one anotherand from me –

to put them in perspective.

Some part of meis still dealing with this,

but now ‘Edgyand Cerebral’

have been addedto my favourites

along with ‘Hilariousand Heartbreaking’.

The new jobis to hitch

‘opposites’to a central pivot.

Everyoneis...

Rain began to speckle the pavementThat is known as an establishing shot.

*

We claim things happenin the pastto prove we have survived them.

The idea is that the past is sealedand cannot be tampered with –

like an ideaor a locket.

*

We count to oneon a locket

while a blue car passesheaded west.

*

The constant rain stoppedand the clouds liftedfor a moment.

Time, intention, a...

‘You are not your thoughts.’

Find the still point,the naked bulb,

the white peonyunfolding

one moreinner ring

while not beingexactly open.

An animal needssomething to watch.

*

What I sawas a formation

of fighter jetsin the distance

was, instead,a blow-up

of rivetson a panel truck.

*

Thinking is hard,but thoughts just happen

because of the nearrhymingof sparks.

Kids like talking...