encampment

erika figel roliz

Pastel girlfriends traded               for rough thought              slinky
steps crossing grove to garden             press against memory of

what is             brought down                bones from the mountain             plant them
at the base of affliction                      addictive power                        lapsing into blackness

and broken             stuck on this crest             ebbing away from
deliverance       short world       long plane        atlas of clouds  foggy

people imbalanced and floating            essential to this thing    this thing
that brought me                   ghost of mother             child of war      never knew      never

meant to feel her       it         naturalized homeland         carried here
by feathers       fed at a table across my enemies                        what does it matter

what     they think    we are all at the platform          speak like         feel like                       
          see
none of it fought for nothing            for love             and patience           double flame

of this mouth   this problem     exacting each blow     by many rows
of people                                building my house