TOM CLARK: Bridges to build / Shauna Hannibal: Dirty Word, and other poems from Hannibal

Bridges to build, the Golden Gate about 1936 | by MichaelRyerson

Bridges to build, the Golden Gate about 1936 | colorized: photo by Michael Ryerson, 15 January 2018

Shauna Hannibal: Dirty Word, from Hannibal

The Reverse French Manicure
has the same proportion of nude
to white as the French Manicure
only the white semi-circle
is at the base of the nail
instead of the tip.
At the base where
on your natural nail
those crescent moons
lunula rise up.
The Reverse French
in effect gives you
upside-down lunula.
It’s a sneaky trick.

Uvula’s another word
that sounds dirty
for a part of the body
that typically is not.
What you can reach with
your uvula’s not much,
it’s too far back
at the soft palate
of your mouth.
A lot of things don’t get
to ever come into contact
with each other.
Too bad your bony cochlea
will never know the feeling
deep inside my gut.

Shauna Hannibal: Dirty Word, from Hannibal, 2017

Untitled: photo by Johan Jehibo, 6 April 2016

I'M SO HOT
BUT I'LL BE WAY HOTTER

Standing here worried
About everybody's emotions

Immaculate panties
Lacy with expectation

My head full of owls.

Untitled: photo by Vitor Damasio, 25 November 2017

I'M SO HOT
BUT I'LL BE WAY HOTTER
WHEN I'M 47 IS WHAT I'D TELL MY YOUNGER SELF

When I find myself in an awkward position
usually it involves bad timing
though on the day
the moon broke I was there.

Every once in a while it's as easy
as waking up on fire,

my hope is an insurgent rectangle ignited
luminous particle, small spark.

Go out for tacos. Jump over the air is
brimming with pleasure and land
in the blasphemy courtyard, troubled,
talk about purgatory of stars!
Truly dork supreme
perfectly close to
another way to say
I cannot feel.

Shauna Hannibal: I'M SO HOT / BUT I'LL BE WAY HOTTER and I'M SO HOT / BUT I'LL BE WAY HOTTER / WHEN I'M 47 IS WHAT I'D TELL MY YOUNGER SELF, from Hannibal, 2017