Born in the Year of the Butterfly Knife: 1 Read online

Over the spokes

  And I feel the spokes

  I feel ‘em.

  And for as long as they remain shut

  I am seven and she is nine.

  I feel like a cloud, she says.

  And I know this is true

  for I know the terrible things that go on inside of clouds.

  That night drags its nails down the wall

  and its sounds like…

  THIRTEEN PIECES OF ELECTRICAL TAPE

  I hate these numbered poems but I still do it every now and then just to keep my poems in The New Yorker. The girl’s name wasn’t Rebecca. I went on one date with this gal whom I will call Rebecca and nothing happened. Her family called me a few days later to tell me she had tried to kill herself and I had something to do with it. It may sound cold-hearted, but I didn’t go to see her in the hospital when they were sewing her up. I thought it was weak. The rest of the poem just came spilling out after I wrote the Rebecca part. This appeared in Junebug Melatonin.

  1.

  The average amount of spiders

  Someone always swallows in their lifetime

  is ten.

  I am part of a study

  To determine the amount of kisses

  dogs attempt to steal from us in our sleep

  in a lifetime

  but you can’t know the results until I die.

  2.

  So as I’m pouring sugar all over this woman’s body

  She says Ooooo. Nummy nummy.

  Pouring sugar all over my tummy. I want more!

  And that’s when I pull down the blowtorch mask

  And holler ‘Crème brulee!’

  3.

  Rebecca, there’s something funny about a girl

  with dyed black hair

  and a scar on each wrist.

  I always say ‘Hey, you’re supposed to put perfume there.’

  4.

  Those little skirts that are really just shorts

  with a flap in the front

  just piss me off

  It’s deceitful and you know it.

  5.

  The cops are everywhere

  and some are wearing uniforms

  6.

  There will come a night

  when the whole world falls asleep

  at the same exact moment

  and no one will be guarding the banks

  or malls

  or jewelry shops

  and that’s a great time

  to sneak into the movies.

  if you know how to run a projector.

  7.

  I lay the same piece of electric tape

  over every lover’s mouth.

  It isn’t so sticky anymore.

  I wish it wasn’t losing its ability to stay.

  8.

  A kid named Hector said to me

  Hey, I got a penny in my shoe.

  I asked him if that got a little irritating.

  He said, No. They’re lucky pennies, silly.

  That’s all I learned from Hector.

  9.

  So girl.

  What do you like to do?

  Do? Um, I dunno. Second base, maybe third.

  I meant what do you like to here in Long Beach?

  Oh. You mean… Oh. Third base.

  10.

  Mass confusion

  might have something to do with Catholicism.

  11.

  A man buried his imagination yesterday.

  I understood why but disagreed.

  He said who can sleep

  when imagining clearly those final poses,

  that infinite stillness?

  I need to sleep.

  12.

  You will not be detected by aircraft radar. Guaranteed.

  13.

  My Russian jewel.

  These hands turn to Sue Bee honey

  and my nails flip to reveal pink crescent moons

  when I think of our first night together.

  Will it be like a tornado of sheets?

  or timed with the cadence of drooling candles

  and the bass of pile drivers?

  Wild enough to embarrass the furniture.

  Woman girl, I want to hold you

  the way grasshoppers h

  old onto their bows.

  The way Russia holds all the sad diamonds.

  The way sand creatures hold down sailors’ bodies.

  The way children hold onto pennies and secrets.

  Is it fair to say I might not want to make love on honeymoon night?

  Because I might be sore from doing it with you all day

  in the train,

  under the reception table,

  dangling from the helicopter skid like a stuntman from the Kama Sutra,

  and in every public restroom we stop at from here

  throughout all of North America

  cause I’m kinda romantic.

  So instead,

  that night,

  we’ll just have to sit there.

  Speak about all the pieces of electrical tape

  we ever slept with

  and wish we had never touched anyone else.

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  A POET IN PIECES

  Derrick Brown was a paratrooper for the 82nd Airborne. He is ordained to perform weddings. He has been published in 4 countries and has won various international writing awards for his poetry. He was a gondolier in Long Beach, CA, a weatherman in Flagstaff, a magician in California and now lives outside of Nashville Tennessee. He tours the world performing his poems. He writes children’s books and likes to shoot beer cans with a bow and arrow.

  Write Bloody Publishing 2011 Lineup

  WB 2011 LINEUP

  38 BAR BLUES

  New poems by C. R. Avery

  WORKIN’ MIME TO FIVE

  Humor by Derrick Brown

  YESTERDAY WON’T GOODBYE

  New poems by Brian Ellis

  THESE ARE THE BREAKS

  New prose & poetry by Idris Goodwin

  THE FEATHER ROOM

  New poems by Anis Mojgani

  LOVE IN A TIME OF ROBOT APOCALYPSE

  New poems by David Perez

  THE UNDISPUTED GREATEST WRITER OF ALL TIME

  New poems by Beau Sia

  SUNSET AT THE TEMPLE OF OLIVES

  New poems by Paul Suntup

  GENTLEMAN PRACTICE

  New poems by Buddy Wakefield

  HOW TO SEDUCE A WHITE BOY IN TEN EASY STEPS

  New poems by Laura Yes Yes

  THE NEW CLEAN

  New poems by Jon Sands

  BRING DOWN THE CHANDELIERS

  New poems by Tara Hardy

  WRITE ABOUT AN EMPTY BIRDCAGE

  New poems by Elaina M. Ellis

  REASONS TO LEAVE THE SLAUGHTER

  New poems by Ben Clark

  Other Write Bloody Books

  OTHER WRITE BLOODY BOOKS

  EVERYTHING IS EVERYTHING (2010)

  New poems by Cristin O’Keefe Aptowicz

  DEAR FUTURE BOYFRIEND (2010)

  A Write Bloody reissue of Cristin O’Keefe Aptowicz’s first book of poetry

  HOT TEEN SLUT (2010)

  A Write Bloody reissue of Cristin O’Keefe Aptowicz’s second book of poetry

  about her time writing for porn

  WORKING CLASS REPRESENT (2010)

  A Write Bloody reissue of Cristin O’Keefe Aptowicz’s third book of poetry

  OH, TERRIBLE YOUTH (2010)

  A Write Bloody reissue of Cristin O’Keefe Aptowicz’s fourth book of poetry

  about her terrible youth

  CATACOMB CONFETTI (2010)

  New poems by Josh Boyd

  THE BONES BELOW (2010)

  New poems by Sierra DeMulder

  CEREMONY FOR THE CHOKING GHOST (2010)

  New poems by Karen Finneyfrock

  MILES OF HALLELUJAH (2010)

  New poems by Rob “Ratpack Slim” Sturma

  RACING HUMMINGBIRDS (201
0)

  New poems by Jeanann Verlee

  YOU BELONG EVERYWHERE (2010)

  Road memoir and how-to guide for travelling artists

  LEARN THEN BURN (2010)

  Anthology of poems for the classroom. Edited by Tim Stafford and Derrick Brown.

  STEVE ABEE, GREAT BALLS OF FLOWERS (2009)

  New poems by Steve Abee

  SCANDALABRA (2009)

  New poetry compilation by Derrick Brown

  DON’T SMELL THE FLOSS (2009)

  New Short Fiction Pieces By Matty Byloos

  THE LAST TIME AS WE ARE (2009)

  New poems by Taylor Mali

  IN SEARCH OF MIDNIGHT: THE MIKE MCGEE HANDBOOK OF AWESOME (2009)

  New poems by Mike McGee

  ANIMAL BALLISTICS (2009)

  New poems by Sarah Morgan

  CAST YOUR EYES LIKE RIVERSTONES INTO THE EXQUISITE DARK (2009)

  New poems by Danny Sherrard

  SPIKING THE SUCKER PUNCH (2009)

  New poems by Robbie Q. Telfer

  THE GOOD THINGS ABOUT AMERICA (2009)

  An illustrated, un-cynical look at our American Landscape. Various authors.

  Edited by Kevin Staniec and Derrick Brown

  THE ELEPHANT ENGINE HIGH DIVE REVIVAL (2009)

  Anthology

  THE CONSTANT VELOCITY OF TRAINS (2008)

  New poems by Lea C. Deschenes

  HEAVY LEAD BIRDSONG (2008)

  New poems by Ryler Dustin

  UNCONTROLLED EXPERIMENTS IN FREEDOM (2008)

  New poems by Brian Ellis

  POLE DANCING TO GOSPEL HYMNS (2008)

  Poems by Andrea Gibson

  CITY OF INSOMNIA (2008)

  New poems by Victor D. Infante

  WHAT IT IS, WHAT IT IS (2008)

  Graphic Art Prose Concept book by Maust of Cold War Kids and author Paul Maziar

  OVER THE ANVIL WE STRETCH (2008)

  New poems by Anis Mojgani

  NO MORE POEMS ABOUT THE MOON (2008)

  NON-Moon poems by Michael Roberts

  JUNKYARD GHOST REVIVAL (2008)

  with Andrea Gibson, Buddy Wakefield, Anis Mojgani, Derrick Brown, Robbie Q,

  Sonya Renee and Cristin O’Keefe Aptowicz

  THE LAST AMERICAN VALENTINE:

  ILLUSTRATED POEMS TO SEDUCE AND DESTROY (2008)

  24 authors, 12 illustrators team up for a collection of non-sappy love poetry.

  Edited by Derrick Brown

  LETTING MYSELF GO (2007)

  Bizarre god comedy & wild prose by Buzzy Enniss

  LIVE FOR A LIVING (2007)

  New poems by Buddy Wakefield

  SOLOMON SPARROWS ELECTRIC WHALE REVIVAL (2007)

  Poetry compilation by Buddy Wakefield, Anis Mojgani, Derrick Brown, Dan

  Leamen & Mike McGee

  I LOVE YOU IS BACK (2006)

  Poetry compilation (2004-2006) by Derrick Brown

  BORN IN THE YEAR OF THE BUTTERFLY KNIFE (2004)

  Poetry anthology, 1994-2004 by Derrick Brown

  SOME THEY CAN’T CONTAIN (2004)

  Classic poetry compilation by Buddy Wakefield

  WWW.WRITEBLOODY.COM

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  PULL YOUR BOOKS UP BY THEIR BOOTSTRAPS

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  Our employees are authors and artists so we call ourselves a family. Our design team comes from all over America: modern painters, photographers and rock album designers create book covers we’re proud to be judged by.

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  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Information

  Special Thanks

  AUTHOR’S NOTE

  Opening Epigraph

  BORN IN THE YEAR OF THE BUTTERFLY KNIFE

  THE KUROSAWA CHAMPAGNE

  THE CHINESE ELEVATOR

  PUNISH CHILDREN

  WALTZING THE HURRICANE

  THE SILENT FALL OF NEW YORK CITY

  THE DAWN OF WEIRD

  WITH THE GUIDANCE OF DOLPHINS

  HOW TO FEEL

  TO THE LIGHTNING TEACHERS

  BLOOD TEST

  HOT FOR SORROW

  ARMSTRONG

  MEDUSA OBLONGATA

  COME ALIVE

  from UNAPOLOGETICS

  THE LABRADOR IS POSED IN THE FREEZER

  SGT. PEDERSON WOULD LIKE A WORD WITH YOU

  HOW TO LEAVE THE OZARKS

  YOU, MY DEAR, ARE A VERY SPECIAL STARFISH

  THE ROYAL DOGS OF TEXAS

  THE WEAPONS FORMED AGAINST ME

  DID PROSPER

  NINE THOUSAND, ONE HUNDRED LIGHT YEARS AWAY

  from IF LOVIN’ YOU IS WRONG, THEN I DON’T WANT TO BE WRONG

  COMPLETING A DUMB PUZZLE

  AQUANAUT

  BLOWTORCH SONATA

  PLEASED TO MEET YOU YELLOW, MY NAME IS BLUE

  CAROLINA

  CHERRY

  WHY AMELIA EARHEART WANTED TO VANISH

  12:55

  THE DECLARATION OF INTERDEPENDENCE

  SPEAKING 12:55 INTO THE STUPID COMPUTER DEVICE

  ANGELS THAT LEAK

  ALICIA’S SCIENCE VOLUNTEER

  SEVEN YEARS TO DIGEST GUM

  A FEW THINGS YOU PROBABLY ALREADY NEW ABOUT EMUS

  JOIN THE AIRBORNE

  THE FIRST TIME YOU HUGGED ME IT WAS WITH YOUR LEFT ARM

  TOMB

  A FINGER, TWO DOTS, THEN ME

  HOW TO KISS THE BOYS AND THE GIRLS: FRENCH AND PROPER!

  WHAT I LEARNED IN CHURCH

  MISS LAKE MICHIGAN

  CURSING JEFF BUCKLEY

  SPARKLER

  PUSSYCAT INTERSTELLAR NAKED HOTROD MOFO LADYBUG LUSTBLASTER!

  QUARTER SLOTROCK

  TRIGGER AND HAPPY BELONG TOGETHER

  UNSENT

  VENTOM

  THE WRINKLES UNDER LIPSTICK

  A SHORT SONG

  THE ABSENCE ANTHOLOGY

  CHEAP RENT

  LAST NIGHT IN PARIS

  A KICK IN THE CHEST

  MILLION DOLLAR BUM

  BORDER STEALTH

  CAPTAIN CREAMS

  THE RISE AND FALL OF JULIUS WALKER

  from HOSTILE PENTECOSTAL

  HOUSTON INTERNATIONAL

  from THE JOY MOTEL

  SUGARFREE NATIVITY

  YOU CAN FEEL NEEDED IN A CASINO WITH ONLY A HUNDRED-POUND BAG OF SODIUM-FREE PRETZELS

  AMAZING JIM NUMBER NINE AND SEVEN

  THIRTEEN PIECES OF ELECTRICAL TAPE

  About the Author

  Write Bloody Publishing 2011 Lineup

  Other Write Bloody Books

  Pull Your Books Up By Their Bootstraps