Brenda Hillman

[two untitled fragments]
from Bright Existence


(—How long will you stay here.
Maybe longer. Sometimes,
the bee has so much pollen, it can’t fly!

and lands on the drunk camelia.
I watched you sleep,
delicious flesh, I watched you rise,

you made the dawn jealous,
you kept the future of the day inside,
not showing,—

And when you left, you were
so everywhere! torn spark. The night
had used you up, but you kept going—)

+ + +

(—Why did you tremble when you came in here.
I saw some doves fly the city;
this place, had no door.

You came in with your old sorrow,
with your other sexual loves in your mouth
your wrong previous your two laters

their little silver crosses in your eyes,
I wanted to be the boy,
I would have loved you against the wall
as hard as I could,

but there was no I right then,
desire is the good general,
the wall was nearly gone—)