PASO de la PIEDRAS

Invertebrate at the gate
flatfoot at the border
tunnel under
mates rights assunder
a waning interest moon
satellite dishes bloom
like albino dandelions,
their unseen tendrils
reach to cross the others
in a maze of wires
the confluence of liars
pray for nixed signals—
a piece of quiet

cacti for an eye
deferred thirst
delays the worst
the world has to offer:
gladhanding salamanders,
a sacrificial landmine
totem on tiptoes
divining your water
while sketching a slaughter—
ain’t that what the free hand is for?

Texas
4.1.2008