Verna Cannon Flies
hours before the awning fell a single screw dropped to
the ground nobody noticed that it bounced and made a
clinking sound disappearing through the grate when you're
not sure you are so lovable you send out flies to keep an
eye on me i hear the buzzing of your doubt like static
through the phone lines and it's discouraging because
inner revolution never stirs my surfaces like little fly
arms doing backstrokes in my bowl leering up at me
knowingly, they could not know you had no cause to worry
i tried to swat away your fears oozing with sweetness,
but they stuck to me. my face is cracking from a smile
held like a liberty lantern hailing an aimless sea and
screws are falling to the ground though you pronounce me
finally sound a little doubt will do me in, don't you
know? it gives me cause to worry and the flies on my wall
are daydreaming but a fly on my thoughts would be reeling
you'll never see into m head, even with all those little
eyes, when you send bugs to do your bidding curious flies
trailing behind suggest that something in me's died
another self-fulfilling prophecy