2 Poems

by Z. Franquiz

Community High School

Hengao

this is

in the air-conditioned grocery store where

everything is clean my

sister and i grin badly into the camera,

pushing our heads back at

angles that make us look turtlish.

a consistent noise which says that you can look bad

 and so you should. or just,

 here. i will do this and we’ll laugh.

here is the one pattern that always comes.

green box

once all the

agitation in my body

aimed itself only at the orange blossom of the far past

the distant places which _

(if i have forgotten them how will i remember such a long life?)

perhaps i should move somewhere cold_

and in the style of the bowhead whale, following her directions, become round with fat

hide myself under ice and only speak in clicking

live forever and cease to remember, remember that memories aren’t even what you need. even when they feel urgent.

directly beneath the orbital bone there is a soft green box

look back and you will see a mind built on sticking threads.

the spider springs wildly at any prey and catches only some to bring back into the thalamul home,  skittering

compulse, compulse, compulse out in braille with his teeth

the comb jelly propels himself through a single hole.

the mind in the body (not so in control as the body in the mind) and that, umai

sweet sailor, the body in the mind remembers

 in terms of wanting. dopamine. eyes just for the details and the rest of the body says yes no maybe yes no yes no as if it

fully comprehends the consequences of any choice!

no such thing as informed when you cant see the

 world unfold seething.

no such thing as memory when the body in the mind says no, no, look here

long ago we scorned our nerves on this