ELEGY IN FIVE PARTS

by Alessandra Lynch

SOUVENIRS

HERE IS—THE MESSAGE---TO THE RAIN---NOT A TELEGRAM---"I DON’T WANT TO--- STOP
----TALKING TO YOU”---LIGHT

MORE ORANGE—FRANGIBLE AS—AN INFANT’S SKULL---"THEN---I WON’T”---THE
COUPLE  PROMISED EACH OTHER---THE GOLD WASP FLEW DOWN---FROM

THE SHADE—IT’S A MESSAGE---IT SEEMS TO HAVE A BROKEN LEG---IT
SLIPS---DRAGGING ITS STRIPED BODY---THEN

STOPS---TO WASH ITS FACE---OR IT’S ---A SOUVENIR ---FROM THE SKY FROM
WHERE—WE LIVE---ESSENTIAL

PART—STINGING--- GREEN—ON THE SILL---
THE FOOT SINKS  INTO THE EARTH

NIGHTS FULL OF FIRE

EROS & VIOLENCE---LEAD-HEAVY FORECAST---RAIN POUNDING INTO---THE
TRUMPET-VINE---ONE FLOWER—SMASHED

IN THE ROAD—ONE DRUNK ITSELF---TO DEATH---HOW VODKA-COLD----HER HANDS
WERE---PALE

AND DRY---AS SCORCHED CEMENT---HE PUTS A WET CLOTH ---TO HER---MOUTH---DID HE
KNOW---SHE DIDN’T

--LOVE HERSELF?----HOW WHO KNOWS WHO OR HOW—WHAT’S IT LOOK LIKE----LOVE
THEMSELVES—HOW DOES

IT SMELL---THE VODKA WAS QUITE---ODORLESS---AND IN THE FREEZER----TO
LAST---FOREVER—

I HADN’T THOUGHT---OF THAT---“I’M NOT IMPORTANT”---SHE SAID---AND WHAT WAS
THAT?—“NOTHING---URGENT—”

NOT URGENT---NO NEED TO----NO NEED TO----CALL ME BACK

LACE PELT

FLIES –ARE PART OF THAT—THEY 
SCAT—THEY SCAT DARKLY—
THEY SCAT

AT WALLS—SCAT THE 
LAMP---TYPEWRITER---THEY SCAT---THE 
BOOK---OF ART---DISHEVELED

WAS—THE FOG---AROUND THE SILENT 
MOON—THEN IT SCAT TOO---WHITE 
SCAT—BLUE

—AND GREEN—WERE ITS 
WOUNDS---WERE 
MULTIPLE---EYE-SOCKETS---SCAT-ATTACK SKIN---SOCKETS

IN SKIN---I NEVER WANT---SCAT 
SCAT---TO TOUCH THE MOON---SCATTERY 
SCAT---WITH ANYTHING—

SAY THE FIVE EYES OF THE 
FLY----SCATTING ON EVERYTHING--- 
CERAMIC MUG—

OIL PAINT ---AND WHERE ARE 
YOU—AND WHEN MIGHT I 
SPEAK TO YOU AGAIN---AND WHERE

DID YOU GO…. ASH IS 
INCONCLUSIVE….ALL ALL’S 
INVOLUNTARY….ALL ALL’S POURING PURE

AND LUCID AND TRIBUTARY—A FLY

COULD LIVE HERE FOR 31 DAYS

AFTER FELIX THIOLLER

…YOUR DAUGHTER…IS PAINTING… OR DRAWING….OR POSING  BETWEEN LIMESTONE “HUMANBODIES”…

AND THEIR BOVINE EARS…AND CARDINAL-BEAKS…THEIR SCOWLING
BIRD-FACES….SHE’S IN DARK DRESS…

DURESS…SHE’S IN…OBLIVIOUS DURESS…PAINTING…A BIRD-GARGOYLE…LOOKING
DOWN…HEAD

AS THOUGH….SMASHED IN…..TALONS ON THE EDGE….OF THE NOTRE DAME….SHE IS
PAINTING…IN A LIGHT RAIN…

HER BACK TO THE CITY…A FLIMSY TOWER….IN THE DELICATE
CORRUGATED….MIST….YOU SHOT THIS

PHOTO….ON THE PERFORATED PART OF….
A MOMENT…. 

MULBERRY BEETLE …AND HER CHERRY-PIT CRY…….

AUTHENTICITY

I TUCKED THE FEATHER BETWEEN….IVY…AND THE STONE EAR…OF EROS…THE
KUDZU…

ONE EXAMPLE…OF WHAT….WE’VE DONE….ARE DOING….TOWER TOWER TOWER….YOU
FOUND YOUR

CAMOUFLAGE IN WORDS. AND HID BEHIND A CONSONANT.  AND DROPPED A VERB. THE
RABBITS

CAME OUT WHEN THE AIR WAS COOL.  THE ARROWS FLED DESPITE THE AIR. YOU HID
BEHIND

ARROW, A BULLET FOR A BRAIN.  YOU HID BEHIND PATTERN.  YOU DROPPED YOUR
VOICE

AGAIN. THE FIELD NEVER HID ITSELF, THAT WAS ITS CAMOUFLAGE.  ITS SKIN. STRIP
THAT AWAY

AND NOTHING, NO ONE, NO RABBIT WILL LIVE.

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ABOUT THE CREATOR

Alessandra Lynch’s 5th book of poetry, Wish Ave, was published in 2024. Chosen as a NY Times’ Best Book (2017), her 3rd collection, Daylily Called It a Dangerous Moment, won the Balcones Prize. Her poems appear in The American Poetry Review, the Kenyon Review, The New England Quarterly, and other journals. She has had residencies at Yaddo, MacDowell, and the VCCA. Currently, Alessandra teaches poetry in the undergraduate and MFA programs at Butler University.

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