the summer of the room

the summer of the room

One two--

A black deer with buckled shoes
Flies through the sunny window
To rest on the dusty ledge of
Pearls snowy brown encrusted on
Spiraling stairs, knocking the spider
Off its deep slumber.

Three four--

“Knock before you come in”
Growled the spider green
A flicker hissed and jumped
Brushing aside the leaf shadow
Was it the snake again, peeping out the crack
Slithering down from the 99 step ladder.


Five Six

Or Cross chasing, panting
After Naught in a labyrinth grid
Of Clever sticks picked up
From the woods in the middle
Of desert air streaming through
Cool passage walls of summer.

Seven Eight

The deer lies straight
In a glittering web of fleshy hands human
Its buckled shoe of brass smelling
Of freshly sprayed lemon
Minty ice and blackened cloth
That sweeps the pearls away.

Nine Ten

The tiny fists scribble again that
Betty bought some butter, but the butter was bitter
The flicker leaps now, and a quick brown fox jumps
Over the lazy dog snoring in
Cool passageways, and gobbled up
The summer of the room.