Our Armistice, Yellow as Lemons, As Birds

excerpted from OUR ARMISTICE, YELLOW AS LEMONS, AS BIRDS
by Quintan Ana Wikswo

first performed at The Museum of Jurassic Technology
first published by Catalysis Projects

Our armistice yellow as lemons, as birds

i.

Suspension of birds
let go, slow –

Slip away –

A turn of time has frozen.

ii.

False promises

Dissembling truces

Sabotages            Subterfuges

Duplicities                        Perfidities

Penalties             punishments                         nearly unbearable

Pressures

iii.

Betrayals

Falsehoods
Irrational injunctions

Permissions                        restrictions                         invoked

and then                         denied

iv.

all of which

culminate

in a leave-taking

v.

who said to float through me
this canoe
your shoes
yellow
as lemons
as birds

vi.

do not be misled
lonesome is a door
with venetian blinds
far into the evening

after earthquakes

after your hands

folded into the arches of my feet

vii.

swimming at night

fear is taking your eyes off

things to touch when there is

nothing

let our edges go

pink
let’s just leave here agreeing
to be happy