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Lord of the soft lash,
sharp straw,
you scar
so many fish with your kisses,
root and drink
the perch down
to the white shame
of its bones.
Whose mouth wants you
that much,
would take everything
out of you
if only you'd let it?
You merely dream
of the twining and untwining,
the untwining and twining
then waking up untouched
hate yourself in the morning.
How much I am like you, vampire;
neither of us knows pleasure
until we are
half self, half other,
or no self at all.
Small wonder that we hate daylight
and the sight of ourselves
in mirrors. Perhaps a psychiatrist
would help us
accept ourselves
or change
into a bridge or open window,
a door ajar.
This is the way out,
I would sing
as I abandoned
my thirst and my hunger.

Homo Erectus Recalls the Better Days of Man

I cast my gaze over the coarse grass.

Now we are weak, but the old kind were strong.
Just one of them could slay
a leopard with a sharp stone.
But, alas, the old days are gone.

Now our heads are big
and filled with worry.
The head of Habilis was small.
He did not think much

but was content
with a zebra carcass,
a willing female.
Not so Erectus…

Over the tall grass I cast my gaze.

I see the other band
has a better clearing by the river.
If only I could be satisfied
with less, I'd be as happy
as Habilis. But the old days
have run away.

On two feet how can I chase after them?

The text you see here of "Homo Erectus Recalls the Better Days of Man" is actually my English translation from the Early Hominid Utterance. Recently my own poems have appeared in 5AM, Cimarron Review, Nerve Cowboy, Word Riot, kaleidowhirl, and Per Contra.

My most recent poetry collection, Imaginarium, was a finalist for ForeWord Magazine's 2005 Book of the Year Award. Imaginarium is available directly from Loonfeather Press at http://www.loonfeatherpress.com/

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