John Coletti

Dukes Up

The Easter egg hunt
inherently cruel
religiously obscene
“I see one.” “Let me get one.”
tears. like that.
an epiphenomenelogical account from like organisms
teasing @ the homegrown
in a banged-up locker
that convince me, at the end of darknessses
that I want to enjoy being family-kept-spilling
I never understate
& demonstrate daily
the capital shock then “wooed
& won by wireless”
weeds I thought more beautiful tilted
like a panix’ serpent
calming
core doubts. it’s been a little rough.
pancakes at midnight
pancakes at day
Medieval reenactors
dragging
that one aria
from Turandot
around your eye. forever closed
the tingling of clean, crystal lights
then I laid back down. don’t rot: sayeth Beaker
the tendered non-capital evening so eschewed
now, I have a third wave: Starting fresh!

John Coletti is the author of Mum Halo (Rust Buckle Books 2010), Same Enemy Rainbow (fewer & further 2008), and Physical Kind (Yo-Yo-Labs 2005). SKASERS, a half-book with Anselm Berrigan, is forthcoming from Flowers & Cream. He recently served as editor of The Poetry Project Newsletter and co-edits Open 24 Hours Press with poet Greg Fuchs. Other recent projects include a libretto for Excelsior (Caught: The Wide Open), an opera composed by Caleb Burhans commissioned by Chicago's Fifth House Ensemble and premiering in 2013 .