Stan and I were an unstoppable duo, and he helped me rebuild my life post-divorce. Making weird art, hanging out, going on hikes, and holding him tempered so much disappointment and loss. I have edited and retitled several works from that time to make them more cohesive. Thank you, sweet Stan!
I. CONCEAL
spend all your time
in a house far too spacious
for a small woman and her large dog
II. CONGEAL
the dog takes up two-thirds of our bed, two heads
on the same pillow
back-to-back, spine-to-spine, vertebrae
softly align
he turns upside down, four paws easing into the air
drooping grayed pasterns downward
III. REVEAL
in a cloak of crumbling plaster
and twisted-pair cabling crown
tarnished copper veins ache
for a heart that long stopped ringing
she emerges from her brick chrysalis
and spreads her asbestos-tiled wings
with none but the dog to witness
(Image description: Female polyphemus moth resting on a brick windowsill.)
