Jeffrey Cyphers Wright
LEAVES OF GLASS
… I give the sign of democracy.
—Walt Whitman
You brought red cherries. We shared a muffin
at Union Square 'til a shower drove us in-
to a doorway. I saved some thunder for later.
The sky is no poorer for all its endless gifts.
Hanging on to every word, let me call you
“Sweetheart.” Let me keep you company
in the long shadows we’ve come to box up.
A Phoenix in every pot! My mind is afire,
rummaging through the ashes of old adages,
looking for good badinage to rally the masses.
Time to take ukulele lessons, citizen activists.
Time to make brass knuckles out of memes.
More Moët, my sun drop on a golden chain?
I could live forever on what your glass leaves.
PLACEHOLDER
Ok, Ringleader, how about some Wagner to go
with your group. Invite them over for dinner
one night when the stars are on strike. I mean
to say I'm sorry and hope to make it up to y’all.
A red towhee and the tea pot trade tirades—
who knows what comes over one? But
thanks for including me in your secret sauce.
As we pull into the station, a trace of luster
sticks to the glass and we can see ourselves
looking back like hunted monkeys or jockeys
who ride so fast that time loses its bearings
and flops around like a football. Ok, then! Cool.
You in love with me, tear a page from the wind
and make some room for us to grow wild in.
POINT OF ENTRY
The river is a black mirror. Night stares
into its obtuse surface, looking for
a point of entry, longing for a match.
A hotel sign spills a red sash from one
shore to the other. A carpet of rubies.
Truth puts on a mask so I ask myself,
“What have I done for you lately?”
Imporio in imporium. That’s Latin.
An empire within an empire. My father
wanted me to take Calculus. Keep my
options open. Aim high. Bad idea, Dad.
I managed a D with my BFF’s help.
Now I’m a grandpa. I aim for the heart.
Hot in my veins, runs a river of sparks.
Jeffrey Cyphers Wright received his MFA after studying with Allen Ginsberg. A New Romantic poet, he is also a publisher, art and literary critic, eco-activist, impresario, filmmaker, and artist. He is author of 20 books of verse, including Party Everywhere, Erato’s Inbox, and Doppelängster; Self Portraits in a Funhouse Mirror. His work appears in Best American Poetry, 2023. He received a Kathy Acker Award for both publishing and writing. A recent collection called Fuel for Love, won the James Tate Award. Wright publishes Live Mag! You can see his films and puppet shows on Youtube. www.jeffreycypherswright.com