Philip Matthews
selections from A Tulip Called Phineas
Poor tulips like unhinged finger sandwiches.
Poor cap on a greasy head.
Poor pot
and its wide handle
on the world.
Poor brother, men’s footsteps upstairs
like fire
falling down, bone, into his bed.
Poor cap on a greasy head.
Poor pot
and its wide handle
on the world.
Poor brother, men’s footsteps upstairs
like fire
falling down, bone, into his bed.
Rich brother in his liking of pain.
Hung on a bed-sill.
Hung to be still and lavish and sticky.
Over the years, idiots
and children.
No one, not really, for Phineas.
Even with his head
like childbirth, glowing,
brain opened to the sun.
Hung on a bed-sill.
Hung to be still and lavish and sticky.
Over the years, idiots
and children.
No one, not really, for Phineas.
Even with his head
like childbirth, glowing,
brain opened to the sun.
A nick.
A nick.
A nick.
1. One look at nick.
flame reflected rain cannot put out
flame reflected rain cannot put out
flame reflected rain cannot put out
....
A nick.
A nick.
1. One look at nick.
flame reflected rain cannot put out
flame reflected rain cannot put out
flame reflected rain cannot put out
....
? her pencil to this day, she forgets what to write
? on the fire escape, she examines two fledglings
: beaks open waiting to the sun
: beaks like continuous orbits of ridged shell
: initially strange, some mammal's milk down the pipe
: I am frightened
? on the fire escape, she examines two fledglings
: beaks open waiting to the sun
: beaks like continuous orbits of ridged shell
: initially strange, some mammal's milk down the pipe
: I am frightened
Two firewater mantras
elements in balance, simultaneous, both moving
2. To be called like a name
pen of aril in the cart of blue lotuses
pen of aril in the cart of blue lotuses
pen of aril in the cart of blue lotuses
....
elements in balance, simultaneous, both moving
2. To be called like a name
pen of aril in the cart of blue lotuses
pen of aril in the cart of blue lotuses
pen of aril in the cart of blue lotuses
....
tendril
gill
fire
fold
fall
stitch
dock
pale
tide-shell
like wings branched out
in an egg
Witch sd, come out
Witch sd, I’ll make you
a world / her voice
an easy mirror I could climb into and read
everything backwards:
lord-net
leg
riff
doll
laugh
hit
cock
lap
less edit
camera / vein / light
gill
fire
fold
fall
stitch
dock
pale
tide-shell
like wings branched out
in an egg
Witch sd, come out
Witch sd, I’ll make you
a world / her voice
an easy mirror I could climb into and read
everything backwards:
lord-net
leg
riff
doll
laugh
hit
cock
lap
less edit
camera / vein / light