THUGWISE CAT
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of the rabbit foot charms<br />
a feminine so enveloping<br />
I have to put arms<br />
round your skeleton dressing<br />
it’s a labor of love<br />
for the Gods up above<br />
when the push is for shove<br />
governor, ditchdigger,<br />
thinker, teacher between<br />
lady earth spinning and<br />
we’re keeping her green<br />
with an octave coupler<br />
favelas on Babylon<br />
beach blanket bingo<br />
a la Funicello and Avalon<br />
Gravitron, smashed<br />
great excuse to get close<br />
On a subatomic comet<br />
overdosing with hope<br />
[Chorus of Heartitects]<br />
this is heart architecture<br />
<br />
heart architecture<br />
<br />
heart architecture<br />
<br />
defective perfection<br />
<br />
[shinz" no k"ji = heart construction]<br />
[bimb" no M"shi = impov’rished Mencius]<br />
[jink" no r"shi = artificial old priest]<br />
[minp" no d"ki = civil code palpitation]<br />
With the Credits:<br />
Why should I let these people into my heart,<br />
And take ‘em around for a tour?<br />
So they can sit around sipping their syrupy gossip<br />
And bitch about the décor?<br />
Sure!<br />
Author bio: Jordan A. Y. Smith is a poet/translator/professor resident in Tokyo. His<br />
poetic works have been published in Tokyo Poetry Journal, Genre, Random Agenda, and<br />
elsewhere, and his translations of Japanese poetry have appeared in Poetry Review,<br />
Connotations Press, Poetry Kanto, Tokyo Poetry Journal, etc., and in anthologies<br />
published by New Directions and Josai University Press.<br />
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