enjambd sestina for chris williams
By Steve Roggenbuck


soon, the dawn .”              a    gastank from an ambulanc e .       you crie d

a   pocketfu l  of  head lamps    &  roofing   nails.    “ o f

course   she    did   it  (     i tuck      shotgun s

like a   fifth    &

we     hit back  .       lik e  rainstorms  “ this titanic  rain storm ”

an    o ntolog y   of the   cask :     a finitud e :      lamp light & a    pint

of this      glory.    a  poc ketful   o f

grain   pellet s    &

fiat .     shotgun s    on       white linen  &   staind glas s:       a moment   o f

trembling,    a mo ment of  br eakdance .       “ this was    like    r ainstorms

you   don’t

understan d .”            a shotgun moves .         quic k  .     a

n ightstick   ,    flames at d awn   .

a    pocketful of

eye c andy   &        high languag e.    torchlit sidewalks    &

the whiske y       pantoum .      this   was   mathematic s      &

win d-fall ,    a     revolution    of

the    voicebox :          thi s    was my    pocketful

of glass shards   &    barley  chaf f .      a saltwat er   rainstor m .    a

con man:   a diamond heis t .         here at the

solstice ,

mem orandum   shotguns in   the     retrospect

of dusk .   filibuster    shotgun s    on the    s od        of my lungs

i   dous e   the   body  &    burn

pray ers.       h eadlight s  :    i shook   down  a

cit y .    this

was    my     pocketfu l  of      whitewat er  &   tin   canoes .    original sin   li ke

a torch-burn,        like a    rainstorm.    i shook down   a     c ity       o h

i shook down    a  city    m y      p ocketful   of   absinthe   40 s   &   my

sawdust     eye s .   o h  my

pocketfu l of  tr aincars &        beercans ,         o h   the

shotgun      hail   o h

the   shot

gun   rainstor m :        i practice on the       mouth :          here     &

now .       a pipe.    heat lightning &    beard     curlers ,         a        pocketf ul  of

white  f ire    &   trident  laught er .      o h

a pocketful    of shotguns     &      rainstorms

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