Knot

Bam! The metal door bashed against its jamb. The house emptied of his presence.

Julie slowly exhaled. She pulled a book from the pile she had hidden behind the couch. She held it for a moment, staring at the cover, and then settled onto a plaid cushion. With her right hand, she touched the air around herself, as if she were feeling an invisible set of walls. Where was she, she wondered. Who was she. She opened the book and let the words melt into her thoughts.

Misha was waiting for him in the garage. “How’s it going, man. I can’t understand why you think we need those huge tires,” he said.“Have you ever driven in a swamp before?”

“No,” Misha answered. “I prefer to drive elsewhere.” He laid his hand on the other man’s shoulder. “Do you think she might figure it out?”

“Are you kidding? She’s totally clueless.”

A pair of jadeite eyes gleamed with predatory anticipation.

Kaleidoscope Eye

Shift the sands of time
in the glass of I:

a Worm reads a book
in an inglenook;
winks a Lazy Wench,
scampers to her bench;

a Nun, so proper,
prays in her chapel;
basking in the glare
of Fat Lady’s hair,
a thin, trembling Bride
tends a wand’ring Child;

watching Gypsy dance,
now’s her only chance;
a Crone bides her time,
sipping some plum wine,
while Maid cleans dust gems
from our musty lens–

Which of these is true?
Which is watching YOU,

with her periscope raised high,
through our kaleidoscope eye …?