as if the living weren't the thing

The science of magnetism, the science of light. Sound traveling through wires, the electricity of our hearts, the gasses given off as bread bakes, the gasses from cakes. A likeness, or a person she resembles. Time that passes quickly, and time frozen.

Thus was Rent-a- Rat, Inc born. At first it was Rent-a-Rugrat, but we changed it so the Army wouldn’t be onto us. Our first headquarters was out of a damned tent on Red Square, but we would get the hell out of there as soon as we could muster the necess

At the house one night we were all sitting around at one of those infernal communal meetings that go on into the night full of pot smoke and red wine, when the door was nudged open and a stray dog wandered into the living room. It was a strange coyote-loo

Their sorrow gathers together, darkness spreads. Here, they cry, break down, tremble with pain in solitude.

After our first kiss, a team of scientists scrubbed away the cancer of your lipstick.

My brother and I always set to wander the fields and wet our heads in the irrigation ditch to cool off. Sometimes we would skip stones where the shade hovered thick and the water drew wide on Willow Creek.

(originally appeared in Lit Up)http://litupmagazine.wordpress.com/poetry/rusty-barnes/Remind me never to call youagain after you get home late,for the familiar fear of the deadbolt noise,the shifty creak of your linoleum floor,the way you throw your jacket overthe sofa and…