Poem: Unreasonable. "These silver nets in my breast?"

From my collection, The Future Is Happy. I have made things happen in my time, but--long view--tonight is always the night.

Unreasonable

These silver nets in my breast?

When the moon rises in my throat

I cast them over desire. It's worked.

I've said, “Tonight's the night”

and stars wove a reasonable fate.

Every fate has rotations, and each

friendship. The planets’ are simple

compared to ours, requiring

wiry equations and convincement

the party’s a hoot, or paranoia

(Venus is in the wrong house).

Oh, you want the reasonable fate.

Details, like did he kiss me, and

why didn't I follow through on

women? That door's not closed

and, yes. (With three older sisters,

I may know too much.) My net,

silver in my breast – I draw your

attention to its Arabian magic.

To the date palm so comfortable

outside the Hollywood Bowl, and

brass lamps with dulled bellies to rub,

to sorcerers who are potent before an

innocent new stammering vocabulary.

Tragedy is a shard, pottery, broken

and exhibited for its poignancy.

Life is full, holds water, cracks and

gets repaired. I've gone abstract

(again). What I need is another kiss.

_______
Sarah Sarai, published in The Future Is Happy, BlazeVOX [books], 2009.