Claire Becker
Car lights come at me,
hot and delirious,
asleep in the back. Planes come
at me every time the rrr
happens.
Pay attention! through
crosswalk to phone conversation.
A duck stands his feet in a boat
-shaped puddle. Fourth year here duck.
Low-light through glasses to block
out the dialing. Boxed-
chocolate. Crumpled my name
tag to the box.
Wind in my hair
at the conference table.
Body, tagged fence.
I speak to three people, one
about my empanada.
For milk or tomatoes,
I go to the market,
two girls with strawberries
winding the paths. Friend-
making on the sidewalk.
Friends because theyÕre smiling.
The blind are saying,
He smiles too much!
I go to your city
to sleep through the night.
Friends because we pile in
bed after the paths,
the man running with his baby
through the light.
A ball resting on your
inner-ear hairs.
When you somersault,
it bounces, when you
rock side to side.
We banked the freeway;
you canÕt see the lake.
Red bows tied around white horses,
like stretchers across the screen.
Interest is dark, invisible.
Undercurrents, electric
currents, water ripples, white.
I watch to get more human,
but IÕm living with adolescents
who say Ow when theyÕre being.
When I get up off the floor,
kids, they listen. I want to suck
some sound fields out,
wrangle them together.
OneÕs the human
imitator; he canÕt go back.
A slowdown can last
forty-five minutes. YouÕre watching
the accident; IÕm watching the slowdown.
The ball in my inner ear
treats me like a child.
I picture your whole face
in the hair salon
saying, IÕm the alcoholic.
Today I threw my trash.
Saying, IÕm the one with one hand,
holding it up. I touch you;
thatÕs haptic, locate the silent
head, folded knee.
I know my joints.
ThatÕs proprioception.
ShameÕs hairy or soft.
A little about TV.
How narrow the body
can be, tucked
to the corner.
Folding the costume,
filling me in.
Silence. I can wait
until transported
night; IÕm a life
coach.
Twenty dollars
for some eggs, staying up
and running to Van Ness.
At the stairs, hold
my arm above my elbow.
I can walk the contents.
Spread your fingers
to my legs taking you.
Hook for a hand.