Matthew McBride
The Party
We spent years alone
selecting the correct glassware.
selecting the correct glassware.
At each curb,
clothing piles,
clothing piles,
going malignant in rain.
“Before,” extending
“Before,” extending
like an asphalt lot.
In dreams, someone keeps
In dreams, someone keeps
handing us a pillowcase
of horse hooves.
of horse hooves.
A soft dial tone
scores the days.
scores the days.
Bricked shoeboxes
with roses cut from paper
with roses cut from paper
we add to nightly.
The people on television
The people on television
hold poster boards of
what they were supposed to say
what they were supposed to say
standing in an empty studio.
The Party
Outside, white
as airplane paint.
as airplane paint.
Inside, trailer-home carpet
brown. Glitter sheds
brown. Glitter sheds
off every object; rain
pianoing against siding.
pianoing against siding.
She looks beautiful
in her closet’s dresses.
in her closet’s dresses.
A cover song plays,
the bridge carried
the bridge carried
by more and more instruments;
the chorus running out of singers.
the chorus running out of singers.
Mostly, I stranger.
Everything becomes less so--
Everything becomes less so--
there being no good way
to cut a pill in half.
to cut a pill in half.
The Party
Each room
its player pianos.
What used to be a hospital,
full of them.
A sky colored-in
early ’90s.
I’m tired of being
tired of being tired
of being alive.
All keys are fingers.
Some numbers must be imaginary.
I ghost so much
my laundry’s all sheets;
my face just a stain
on my face.
Every finger has at least one rule
for what it’s supposed to touch.
Each player piano
playing a heartbeat
as I pretend this panic attack
is a dance I just invented.
its player pianos.
What used to be a hospital,
full of them.
A sky colored-in
early ’90s.
I’m tired of being
tired of being tired
of being alive.
All keys are fingers.
Some numbers must be imaginary.
I ghost so much
my laundry’s all sheets;
my face just a stain
on my face.
Every finger has at least one rule
for what it’s supposed to touch.
Each player piano
playing a heartbeat
as I pretend this panic attack
is a dance I just invented.
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