Here's my submission for Jim Behrle's planned anthology R is For Ron Silliman. I'll probably try and edit this over the weekend, but I'm happy with it so far, given that it was written over the course of a work day (with a lot of thought on it the night before).



The Deception of “M”


A few strung together shape
a woman’s tongue-kiss sigh
to lull you into sleep until
they increase in length, create
a near-mechanical hum in her child-rearing
hips, already straining from the wait,
yearning to join the ranks of producer.

America needs white people!
Remember: baby photos are advertising!
and foreign occupation is product placement!
Both can lead to residual tax breaks!

All contented humming is a lull, giving way
to machinery, a militant march
towards filling up to our planetary quota,
in hopes of that promised combination
Last Day/Final Job Evaluation.

Even amateur burlesque dancers
are annoyed when anyone stares
for too long. They’re there to see friends,
get home, update their online journals
and rant about the home and family
they feel entitled to.