DENISE DEE

Carcasses of brightly colored
birds breastbone split
are strewn on Chicago’s downtown streets
birds more exotic than any I saw
on San Francisco’s streets

my first sighting
a shock of green feathers on
Plymouth court
bending over to see if the bird
still has breath
I hold mine
fallen pet
forgets to fly
after years in captivity
chest fluttering
wondering
should I pick it up
but didn’t
fearing it would be rejected
if human scent was on it
this bird so tiny
I leave it in the alley
next to a hair salon

When I tell a man I didn’t pick the bird up
he looks at me
as if I am a murderer

The candles are looking like
creatures from the sea
purple, pink, and white star
shapes burn down
erratic,
jagged long tentacles
reaching towards the sky
towards air
which will kill them
suffocating as they stretch towards freedom

tentacles sway
in the upper part of the world
what was solid dissolves
they look free, but are worried
that they are dying
the light flickers
in the breeze from the open window
one flame shines protected as if it was
in a core or cave
the other burns higher than the candle
I can see the flame dance ribbon like
twisting and turning
in the breeze
my eye drawn to these strange creatures
looking like they are from the depths of
the sea
as they sit on the night table
illuminating my writing
lights burn
candles call us home
Sean read that women are more scared of fire
fire burns, travels fast, is hard to catch, extinguish wild fire
but we women see fire contained in hearth, home and candle
under cooking pot, over sick child
is fire a tray for us, it defines our range
we circle near the flame
scared it will go out
leaving us blind, cold, alone
three candles burn
half creature of the sea
fire burns in water
it smells so good

VENETIAN NIGHT HERE IN CHICAGO

was very cool. Large yachts decorated with stage sets from plays, and singers and dancers aboard paraded down lake michigan. i was cracking up at one from 'west side story' complete with brick tenemnet... followed by a fireworks display that looked like fairies throwing down light because the fireworks lingered in the air oh, and a RED full moon started it off. it was lovely