Songs

It's like this: gun gun gun
you’re dancing in the back no
front no on the table no
in the Gents sounds like a pop
track sounds like backfire
firing then he laughs shoots at
no one the _crowd_ into it

please please not you crawl
skitter skitter off your heels
floor slick already hit
you closet yourself
mop-first two other guys

mop wounds it’s dark sirens
call out shout back you sink
to your knees almost a dance
one guy breathes loud one guy
pees fear crouches outside gun-

ready what if they hit dark in
that closet you can only outside
touch bullhorns music plays
on music enters time
enters you tick tick you’re
losing it tick to the floor tick

a bomb blast lights
a vehicle groans sheetrock smoke
a single no shots loud a man
at the closet a reman
hatchet help you cry
you fall into his arms


Therese Svoboda (b. 1950), ‘Orlando is Us’
from _Professor Harriman’s Steam Air-Ship_ (Eyewear, 2016)