Lockjaw: in Two Acts
By James Blevins
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Lockjaw: in Two Acts
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Overture
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The bedroom was mounted just so,
and the bed was ornate, just right,
and she was seated like a framed picture.
and the bed was ornate, just right,
and she was seated like a framed picture.
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First Act
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She looked me up and down,
asked if I was ready.
asked if I was ready.
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“Slide your hand across my thigh.”
So I did. “Slide your hand across my breast.” So I did. “Slide your hand across my cheek.” So I did. “Slide your hand across my lips.” |
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Entr’acte
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I did…
and she bit me
with the passion of
the gnawed zephyr—teeth
of hyacinth—enameled,
gray, and red—
and she bit me
with the passion of
the gnawed zephyr—teeth
of hyacinth—enameled,
gray, and red—
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Second Act
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The broken back
of our sick flower.
of our sick flower.
Pyramids of Complex Thought
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From the ground, I reach up to the sound of women clapping;
It’s deafening—they mark themselves well. |
—Pyramids placed over
Complex thought, meant to guide desperate glances my way—
Complex thought, meant to guide desperate glances my way—
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The dirt soaked up the worst of it: the worst to happen to me lately:
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I’m building complex pyramids to it—
Virtuoso works of design and Labor, to be baffled over for years to Come. |
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—Placed in the middle of nowhere, I’ll be buried near the bottom.
I’ll be waiting—patiently—for the clapping Of women. |
A Comet’s Return
a comet’s
been gone
for too long
it wasted a day,
streaking past me,
for a second or two
I felt my better English
return to water—
all I needed
couldn't believe it’d been that long
since I'd been needed—
eyes wet prisms
porches with candle scars
knuckles dancing in the chill
limbs bridged over canals
I left lone in a night,
marked bright by a tail—
long gone
but I
know now how
to write a comet down
a comet’s
been gone
for too long
it wasted a day,
streaking past me,
for a second or two
I felt my better English
return to water—
all I needed
couldn't believe it’d been that long
since I'd been needed—
eyes wet prisms
porches with candle scars
knuckles dancing in the chill
limbs bridged over canals
I left lone in a night,
marked bright by a tail—
long gone
but I
know now how
to write a comet down
James Blevins is currently attending the College of Central Florida in Lecanto, Florida, studying English and Creative Writing. His first published short story, “For All the Bending,” was included in the 2016 Scythe Prize collection available on Amazon. His poetry has been published or has been accepted to be published in Alexandria Quarterly, The Drabble, Literary Juice, THAT Literary Review, Two Hawks Quarterly and The Courtship of Winds, among others. You can read more of his poetry at https://jamesblevinsblog.wordpress.com/.