Al Mendoza 

us, you 

i. 

us, you on 

the lawn, tower: 

height differences make

my neck hurt

rainwater makes 

my toes hurt 

shrivel, deflate, 

cold and white. 

ii. 

i’m hoping one 

(the big one) 

will fall off, 

frostbitten 

so i can throw it, 

the exact angle necessary 

to shatter glass, 

hit the bullseye 

the back of your neck, 

the secret button 

that makes you turn around 

to look at us. 

iii. 

sunlight on your 

shoulder blade

the right angle of your

shoulder blade

the knifepoint of your 

shoulder blade 

makes my neck hurt. 

iv. 

sometimes i wanna bulldoze 

this whole world 

let the crust weep 

scab over wanna 

chase myself around wanna 

collapse, waterlogged, wanna 

press the dirt 

cool clinging 

into the holes 

of my ears wanna 

never understand 

another word that is said 

to me. 

v. 

i think on the future and 

feel like a child, opening 

her hand to find 

the lightning bug already 

dead and smothered 

in her palm.