Monkey Business

Obviously, I'm terrible at proofing. Ok, I'm not perfect.

Here Comes Honey

wearing a sweet roll.

Particles of sprinkled sugar
stick to her neck.
She’s like a dozen doughnuts.

Honey’s nails are the longest. Hard

arrows reach from her cuticles.
She has difficulty eating. Her lovers
are scarred & frightened.

Two clowns & the bearded lady

slave over Honey’s manicure
until the final crooked horn loses all
that tied it to ordinary sobriety.

When Honey is thankful,

she worships the sun & moon.
On nights when she receives seed
many animal odors ride the air.

Lights from passing cars

jump back startled as her
fingers move the shanks like
coils of snapped-off lizard tails.

The nails are dangerous,

not to be trusted in anger. Honey
bleeds whenever her head itches.
She could easily destroy her own back.

But at ShowTime, when the winking

fire-eater swerves to catch
a drop of burning oil on his tongue,
Honey points at once to everyone

from the sawdust center ring.

Not even the 2000 year old sloth
dares match digits when Honey’s wings
are so fully opened to surprise

the Ringmaster’s black boots.