Something from the poetry man...

I HAVE LIVED THIS WAY FOR YEARS AND DO NOT WISH TO CHANGE

I hope you'll forgive the black paint
on my windows,
the smell of cat litter
in the kitchen.
Guests complain sometimes
that my collection of Minoan cadavers spoils
their appetite, or that having the shower
in the living room creates too much moisture,
but I think you'll grow used to it
if we get to be friends.

Yes, it is kind of inconvenient
having the bed strapped to the ceiling,
but I've grown so accustomed to the view
of my Max Ernst carpet that I hardly think
I could sleep with gravity anymore.

Why thank you, it was a gift from my lover's husband
after our honeymoon in Cincinnati.
I do think
it goes well with the orange bedroom set, the burgundy curtain.
See, you're feeling quite at home already.
Don't be shy.
Help yourself to the jellyfish,
the goose down,
the chocolate-covered cotton balls.

"I HAVE LIVED THIS WAY FOR YEARS AND DO NOT WISH TO CHANGE" by Michael Blumenthal, from Sympathetic Magic. © Water Mark Press.