exercise:
Glow, Hum, Spit, Swerve, Roll, Moon, Tooth, Singe, Lip.

under the streetlamp august air, slip-on sneakers, no socks on
we'd gather in orange light on purple-blue. it seemed so late
for me to stay up. our fingers would bleed playing "slaps"
where i remember being too slow and getting caught
by hands that moved too fast to hurt mine. the game was
red and swolen, we'd all play. if michael hit too hard
joey would hit him back and dan would hit joe for fun

when we built the ramp in the driveway bmx was rad.
they painted a naked lady on it, but covered her up
before our mom got home. i would sit and hum
with my chin in my hand and listen about pegs and tricks
"lay down jessie" they'd say to me, as they took their mark
to jump or swerve to scare. or they'd say, "stay real still"
as the wheels would roll over my hair.

in sweatpants the one chased the other around the house.
joe laughed on the otherisde of the storm door
danny got locked out so with little hesitation
he pulled his elastic waste to his hightops
and pressed what he had against the glass.
all of it hanging low and squished strange,
all of it hairy and surprising. i tilted my head to see.

these were the boys that taught me to "hock"
taught me to pull up something from deep in my lungs
gather it in the back of my throat, don't gag
lean forward, with as much air as you've got left
push it out. these were the boys that would laugh
when it fell back in my face, and make me try again
because i'd be too much of a girl if i couldn't.


no one knocked a tooth out, got anything broke,
when we'd jump off the roof into leaves,

... i'll look at this later to edit/finish/trash