7 seconds at a woman on her porch

Henry Goldkamp

      Southern static :     pink tongue : dewy                                                                                                                  ears : seagulls yelling            Wal-Mart

          parking lot       next door : train     anger :                                                                                              projects : boxcar     breathe a spray

woman           her porch:        chicken fat                                                                                                                                   green bean tin : gospel        lukewarm     beer

              busting          miller’s white           girl gold :                                                                                        strung                         out queen cobra        wet : hissy fit

she twerk         twilight :       her iphone                                                                                                                whip cream     hand fan : work       hard

zap blue     : miniature                   death-struggle                                                                                                                   zip the bottom           that glue-catch

heard round     corner : rats     clowning                                                                                                              circle nets brown slick :                            scurry

what left of     sky : pulled     weeds dyed                                                                                                              daps blue        light her           iris     crispy :

lollipops of grease :  her past           :                                                                                                                                        window unit                          got sty eye     sing ugly

summer          oversung dust                         rug     heart index                                                                                 : Sun worship : Son worship : Sunday :

mismatched fryer pan : chapel     pound heat                                                                                                       God won’t     : answer and they                leave messages

they locked inside                                     out : church stink :                                                                                Sun dead      cow     tow     the white nitrogen bead

tiny mystery            island of salt below                                                                                                                bare copper wire                            fishing out an outlet

open holes    her pomeranian       claws :                                                                                                                slab : black warp                                       inhale a weight

furry gravity noses in : vanish                 flesh                                                                                                        happy            : gold  : look   : rock doves

hopping        small hops                       pick bits of gravel :                                                                                                     spit out          when                                    bits of gravel bite hard

blue                  ink blink        metallic shivering              $5.99                                                                                          dripping             ablutions                  heaping goo

                                                  after milk curdles does it grow fur?                                                                      she doesn’t take          honey with                                                   a goddam thing

radio cricket behind her                             smile sticky :                                                                                  cheeks                        shimmer                   pothole                        antennae

internet trickle                      inside that sweat-brain                                                                                                                termite wing                                                         missing a chunk

                       attic diaspora                              : Mississippi desert                                                                           pregnant ten pound sky

            kid shriek         five houses down          “I’m gonna                                                                                          kill you”                                               : her eyes crimp   bottlecap

twist-off ashtray          : three smooshed butts                                                                                                                                         : one still smoking and sour and justified

peanut shell     sleep               : armrest     : waffle-                                                                                                                                                                            thread shrapnel :     protein war

drugged Louisiana Purchase :                                                       roach                                                                                                                                dancing in love :        deflates         tricycle tire

her dreamfeet crinkle                  astroturf                                                                                                                               Jesus :                       second                             miracle of water

           a kiss :                      a molding lampshade                                        :offal                                                cheap pastel purple ribbon                                             : Go Saints

cooler : foam                                               guts factory speckle                                                                                   frozen                       splash                                              : the time     giant Night

grown                       lonely                          rip raw cherry plastic                                                                                            half              growling                                            cloud milk : stray

            cat tummy    drag fat : crawl         space :                                                                                                         light bulb                  pocked : grey                                             smoke

street                      car sizzles                frozen pizza:                                                                                                tissue-thin             Bible                         : Chinese menu :            The                                                                         President

             grates                                   her channel surfing :             a ghost                                                                   clicking dogs : palms swish into cat burglars

Lion of the Valley                                        prop                           her window                                                      unit wedged                                      : wet donkey :                        sopping                                                         prayers

like walking                                                                          into someone’s                                                       mouth :                     : soda    water                     vault :

a family                                  glock                               that sleepy trigger :                                                       screen           smack :                    denim-wrapped :

giant night    : quietus

Henry Goldkamp has lived in cities along the Mississippi River his entire life. His recent work appears in Bridge Eight, Blood Orange Review, SLANT, Pretty Owl, Permafrost, and others. His work has been nominated twice for 2017's Best of the Net. His public art projects have been covered by Time and NPR.

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