Carolina

Nonentity’s birthplace: a front yard sweeps its dirt clean. Devil hopped up the oak tree, devil-take-the-profit seized a jay in the twigs by the feet, wings buffeting this child’s cheeks to rhyme. Leaf of gift box tissue folded over her pocket comb. Hind pocket kazoo. Won’t somebody please start something other & oddball soon, narrow her down out of folly & trivia to destiny? But Whynot the tortie cat flopped an irregular sunny patch, wriggles & rolls & revives the blissy fits of ignorance. Decades crunch as minor upcountry thunder. My nod to Mastermind’s robot rabbit, said to dwell in his top hat, who tips me a silk evening. Gloaming again & never far from home. Listen you hoots: alas for me, for my love with the gallant and grifter soul has tucked into just the crevice he feared. Fear told & tells him the truth, so he trusts it. Listen you hollers, whatever you had in mind for me.