ATTEMPT no. 24601
Do not look me in the eye twice
I say again:
Do not look me in the eye twice
for the bough will break and the cradle will fall
Instead,
feel my stare touch your nape,
let it raise the hairs that live there
like soldiers in bed and in heat
inside barracks on a cold morning
listen to my mouth contract and expand,
forming tiny o's and wide fat u's
spell them out loud and hear yourself breathe-
heavily, panting
smell me through skins and clothes and perfumes
Inhale through my pores,
and exhale through yours
Get high with the vapors of my sweat
Look me in the eye, and sing:
I'm-a-lonely-little-petunia-in-an-onion-patch.
In an onion patch.
Sing me that or another lullaby
about a baby in a cradle on a tree:
rock-a-bye-
baby...
when the wind-
blows...
the cradle will-
rock...
But only after you've looked once.
Forbid your neck to turn again
but should you compromise,
look at me anywhere
but never in the eye.
for the bough will break and the cradle will fall
and down will
come baby...
down will
come baby...
down
will
come
baby(!)
cradle and all.
