from LA LA LA

animals in the cityalways surprise meI guess they drink bodiesof rain waterat least once a dayI’m blown awaymy roots are exposedwhen in bloomthat’s the thing about scuba gearone doesn’t even have to come up for airso if your foot’s not asleepis it awakewerewolves liveby a similar codeor so I’m toldmy friend argues Newarkis Nature as suchI like to believemy plants need menever do they bragabout breathingthey say emailis the last sign of lifeI say Windows 98 and someonebegins to weepin the hardware storethey wouldn’t sell me a nail gunwhatever’s in my aureoladies in reverseoh I’ll show you magicI used to seehow long I could holdmy breath1 2 3 4 5 6 7this must besome sort of record

___Sampson Starkweather is the author of The Heart is Green From So Much Waiting forthcoming from Immaculate Disciples Press, City of Moths from Rope-a-Dope Press, and The Photograph from horse less press. Some of his recent or forthcoming work can be found in: SIR!, Sixth Finch, RealPoetik, No Tell Motel, Ekleksographia, Sink Review, and New York Quarterly.