i.

Done with doing evil lazily,
lately I don’t even recognize
me. What’s more, there’s never been a room

that’s never been opened. A son born
whose destiny was to be orphaned,
mouth’s warmth flowering descent, caught in

fomenting deserts to dissent, soft
caution lost in cotton torment of
self-destructing compliments often

dissolving in an instant oft-sought
shots of a prop gun’s false confidence,
when hubris aches how am I choking

                    ii.

when kissing a mirror? Punished with
anguish for mistaking my own face
for another man’s feigned interest,

anticipating solace in fogged
glass my breath mists off. You can only
kiss your reflection, no matter the

contortion of the direction, your
Self with its melting introspection
bordering on attrition betrays

nothing and something, happens to let
into this wear’s therapy session
everyone and no one. Kills gods.

                    iii.

Intentions ill all remnant of sought
satisfaction, until drawn forth from
the dragon’s well this impossible

attraction two wounds coins cover bruise
over to one whose truth’s a lock picked
open. An astonishment, an

embellishment, gilding over some
silverings tongues before without guilt
fictioned thick. In silencing a lie’s

telling denying my sell’s buying,
an exile entirely willing will
sacrifice nothing unless I try.

                    iv.

An attempt of mine might compel
through simmering beneath amber light
those who—though intimidated by

the sight, a soul’s flight from its vessel—
imbibing at its breaking this bowl’s
portal through the hole of which hearts fall.

Velveting candles, responses call
honeyed tears to pull hard and toward
ears these lips drip against sweet secrets.

Oracle shards, particles perform
porns of mourning no bard before bared
to the bored, poems blind force formed.

                    v.

Blanking verse by inscribing one line
over and over and over and
again on every rib I’ve been

tempted to bend to another’s whim
but didn’t and broken since my end’s
beginning by being so stubborn:

[A cage broken in full stereo,
panning channels left-to-right, smashing
fourth walls, as one’s rebel yell does when

breaking chains, raising hell, freeing Selves
enslaved by someone else’s total
control over what never was theirs—]

                    vi., vii.

1^st. I’m not defined by love I’m not given.

I’m not defined by love I’m not given. 1^st.

2^nd. Not defined by love I’m not given.

Not defined by love I’m not given. 2^nd.

3^rd. Defined by love I’m not given.

Defined by love I’m not given. 3^rd.

 

4^th. I’m not defined by love I’m not given.

I’m not defined by love I’m not given. 4^th.

5^th. Not defined by love I’m not given.

Not defined by love I’m not given. 5^th.

6^th. Defined by love I’m not given.

Defined by love I’m not given. 6^th.

 

7^th. I’m not defined by love I’m not given.

I’m not defined by love I’m not given. 7^th.

8^th. Not defined by love I’m not given.

Not defined by love I’m not given. 8^th.

9^th. Defined by love I’m not given.

Defined by love I’m not given. 9^th.

 

10^th. I’m not defined by love I’m not given.

I’m not defined by love I’m not given. 10^th.

11^th. Not defined by love I’m not given.

Not defined by love I’m not given. 11^th.

12^th. Defined by love I’m not given.

Defined by love I’m not given. 12^th.