Beltane 2025 
or 
Mincing and Fleeting Across the Flagstone
or
Yes it’s a love poem and that’s always a little embarrassing. Just let me have it

Featured Reading for Open Book, a Literary Open Mic.
Fiction Bar. Brooklyn, NY. 06/18/25.

1.
The sigh I sigh of I don’t know
or whatever I call it and apologize
for the letters I never sent
the calls I never made
the texts and DMs and voice messages too
and what good is an apology 
in a poem anyway? (a word I try
not to say too much (in a poem), poem, like
I try not to say “I” too much
tho there twice in one line
but for now without wincing
It’s easier to say sometimes 
what something is not
but people don’t really hear the word “not” so
saying what something isn’t 
already says what something is
in an incorrect though not
untruthful way
Over a dozen lines without 
a single image!—how about

2.
mincing feet of the witch in the backyard
carrying a smoking censer and a bundle
of ribbons and rope? Mincing,
as in not a run and not
a shuffle or really both maybe
with much more style of course
mincing across the flagstone
with more rope for more meat
(y’all know what I mean when
I say meat?)
it of course describes
the beginning of a turnstile orgy
in an upstairs bedroom
feet carrying rope for meat
up the stairs mincingly with much conviction
as the moon fleets across the sky
to and fro, in, out, between clouds
and buildings nearly moonset
behind the apartments on the next street
while I or we fleet our hands
overhead, a kind of mincing in
a different style as elegant and gay
with feet doing something nearly
the same in smaller gesture gayly
“I mince I fleet more rope! for the meat”
ay ay ay what else to say about it?
other of course than we
which one is really supposed
to mean not “I” (but we know what
“not I” really means
and still hardly a picture to picture
with hardly even a story to tell
but imagine this:

3.
ribbons around a pole
ropes around hands over hands stagdancing gentle
and/or athletic as one (actually two, or more)
prefers or communicates not silently
usually laughingly in tangled constellation
before rope, meat, up the stairs
mincing all the way funnily enough
the fire sweltering-delicious of a 
not-rainy (yes clear and warm) May [space] Day
as moon and fire and hands and feet
and rope and ribbon
and bodies through the air soon fleeting
with lilac all mince and fleet together
away   apart   a meeting eye to eye
and laughing-almost almost-recognition of or
with an extraordinary haircut (or extraordinary more
eyes, face, push-pull demeanor
ohh, I get it, a ruin-your-life type of face)
then believably   unbelievably but not surprising
vomit in the upstairs sink beside ha!
a clogged toilet across from the orgy
in the upstairs room then
what we can only call ceiling water
past the fridge onto the kitchen floor 
towels then spit in the mouth
of a not-embarrassed boy (from upstairs)
mmmm-begging for it
on the kitchen floor long after
moonfleet and mincing feet
behind the apartment across the street
upstairs turnstile-sweat with rope and meat

4.
spiritual circle east, south, west, north 
down the stairs into the yard 
pole and ribbons eye-to-eye of guitars
and going home
then upstairs, upstairs into a different 
upstairs room and later submerged in wholly 
other water and a completely different
extraordinary haircut across the bath
and an also different laughing recognition
not-shyly not-saying nearly saying
then finally saying 
every time my heart is healed a little bit
oh god may I keep becoming 
more adventurous—
and with even more with which
to venture forth, get out of bed
and drink too much coffee
or the right amount
and smoke too many cigarettes
or the right amount of too many
and god it’s wonderful
to love you so much
new york
the greatest country in the world
and I’m sure she knows
I mean you as in her
as in oh it’s wonderful to get out of bed
in the greatest country in the world
and drink too much coffee
and smoke too many cigarettes
and love you so much
spring and summer brought in 
on fleeting hands, mincing feet, fire, moon,
sweetening smoke, sweet rope for more meat,
nearly saying   then saying   god
it’s wonderful… and etc 
(   for now)