How she loved that passage, even though one of “them”
had written it. But James was different: He could see
how women think—and how most men aren’t able to.

Kenneth noticed a man staring at breasts,
the way he, Kenneth, might look at an ass.
Kenneth felt a solidarity of need.

The buildings stand, with all intention changed
from what designed and built them—killer ants,
their Gallic genes resembling old blueprints,

We offer each other a dark
brew. But we must drink.
A seduction is the setting up

He wanted to tell her the weekend idea was ‘neat,’
But he kept hearing tome If repeat the word ‘funny.’
She named the names of trees. flowers: sycamore‚ tulip.

So bondage is a big part of it, after all—
that old art of rendering a lover submissive:
a tactic, a strategy. Denying somebody’s body

When I build the fire in the living room
and unroll my sleeping bag beside it
it dawns on me I’m not