February 29

February 29

1.
I have a shoe. It isn't my shoe; it came from the nurse. He left it when he left because he saw the shadow, in the corner, over my shoulder. He looked just right, and saw it as I see it, in the corner. It is shadow the way depth is shadow, shadow the way the ocean is wet. He saw it, hunched in its chair, trying to knit. It gets angry when it tries to knit because it failed Home EC. He looked into its eyes and saw what I see. He ran. He fell; his shoe caught and he came right out of it. It spooked the rest of them so they shot me full of dream juice, tied me up and left me. When I came to, it was me and the shadow. And the shoe, sitting on the floor, on its side, perfect.

2.
I have a shoe.
It isn't my shoe;
it came from the nurse.
He left it when he left because he saw the shadow,
in the corner, over my shoulder. He looked just right,
and saw it as I see it, in the corner.
It is shadow the way depth is shadow,
shadow the way the ocean is wet.
He saw it, hunched in its chair, trying to knit.
It gets angry when it tries to knit
because it failed Home EC.
He looked into its eyes and saw what I see. He ran.
He fell; his shoe caught and he came right out of it.
It spooked the rest of them so they shot me
full of dream juice,
tied me up and left me.
When I came to, it was me and the shadow.
And the shoe, sitting on the floor, on its side, perfect.


C.L. Bledsoe

Posted over on Clockwise Cat
1. Cortney's prose poem.
2. Line Breaks by Glenn Buttkus