Susan Maurer

           CEILING

The height of this library ceiling

             dwarves my aspirations.

          RISK

                     For Ingrid Jonker

“A DANGEROU”

the ticker says,

a term for the outer edge of the peninsula

of risk. Yeah, the edge where

this little piggy says “Pure adrenaline…,”

doesn’t feel the bleeding elbow yet he

thought was jump a bump. The God

of Risk seduces you with a RUSH,

abandons you the same way.

Here is the boat you’ve always wanted.

with the red sail. Shy away.

“BLACK BUTTERFLI” the ticket says

inscrutably meaning “Y”. Done for space?

Inexcusable.

Black Butterflies.

They flutter at the screen door. (Hear them?)

They mean what you want them to mean.

          Rat-Stick Tapestry

Had a jolly time feeding the birds

    in the little park across the street.

Pigeons, sparrows and starlings. The starlings

    dive for the bread in mid-air! The

sparrows dive-bomb it and the pigeons

    clustered and clumped around the big pieces.

A squirrel came over and took a piece from my

    hand and put its little paw on my finger. Then

a rat, a little dazed, came out and I threw a stick at it

    so it didn’t get any crumbs.