THE GULF

Beach tar on the soft

humidity of bruises    a passing wave lifted me

face flush with its surface

I woke early                  without memory          a doll's face

I woke early                  I remembered

the morning changed color on the wall

and the others also waking

                                      noise from the dumpster

                                      an arm wrapping on a spool

                  how in the market

tones raised themselves in helix, stacking

selling food

machines that eat food

a cat watched discerningly

followed us with even steps along a wall    in the gulf skeins were

   loosed

                                       nets billowing what swims

we lay resting drinks on our stomachs

the cold of the drink ran through me like a pole

we were thinking again: bull or matador?

water flexed many spines          what glides