C
O A T L I C U E
John M. Bennett
Ah these words jerking in my throat outside what was I thought? dimly rustly
quaking in the deep hole now "outside" thought but thought my "speak",
jerk, jerks speaks all of them at once I mean, nothing mean all "at once",
timeless in a swarming line. I finished "sla bowl" late October 1998,
poems spread out with huge calligraphic scrawl in their middles, the scrawl
in the gape of a "sticky mouth" structure, felt a need to tighten up
get
dense, be Coatlicue, face of double snakes. All condensed but moving out
in all directions, endless. (While my end claws near...
April 1999
D ool
burn chime, bleeder than your blood outside my
faucet was your candor foam, time 'n natter frying
in the face of or condition aimed grossly through
the s lumber where you thought was headache-city,
wind and mice climb the wall oh nighty foot heave
my number-leaf, you and striker, me and//mounds of
froth, a dampness. blind rafters, mumbling in the
attic "roof" out there, mud beyond my head (dim
key-I, lapping
R ank
why lout er banks why mix the tank you stained
with gopher what the boat 'n suds you blam med
the kin g ate 'n faucet-ham: what you for ent
mindly blinks, what you calmed was year ning
brightly like an onion in the compost bucket for
est's starlight sailing loosely in your bathrobe
minestrone, warm 'n f armed which hose her brood-'n'
-sacks 'n. clinged mood, focus dancer like a turkey
(roam loaf or you cone redemption, stark loud
W oo woo
spo on rent the taller rank col lection in the
fridge's bot tom shel f lake sog'd 'n c rafted
re condition "dip dip" noodles sank in rotten
apples like you rub ber rid ges gam: east e ast.
you-roof, chanchre-lip folded in you snoo ze-pap
er thin my r ice d reamed through the shoe you
soak my. face need face roast face nipples in
the closet's client "clam" dr ips tand yr wound:
my "g" nome: o Mu T was
Ruc kt
's no o ped the hung damp lung ram pant rift yr
hoo ping loaf 'n c law gun f loats timely like a
ri~na in the lamp-sink o ri~nones croo ned yr s hiny
boil! post. pan der hall but sliver-think the moo
se-lodge yodel dressed in runny ones for was *I*
s' loped be hind yr car a bar racuda was 'n d rank
your hair your bind. cud-hum per and a do me mu d
bulges *all* your pockets flo I t raced s hot I
(band h and
Y um
s tub er f lat the stippled s ham e at floating
bun gee chord list corner n oose yoo yoo take the
leaf 'n ham stake o c huckit up 'n dri bble moss
the tale w ear you c rumbles lift o nuts o steer
o nasal cord preyed the cards mi rey (und balloon)
mist, m ist y o's floor the coffer! double hair
your glowing in the fog a copysign I couldn't
get my legs apart, breathed deep sloshed read tide
Ya t yat
gro an 'n s take or lip wich lossed with butt
er ned you rolled you tee rumly c rimped and co-
matter d rank s and roughly itch new knew c hew
yr band age gun was rice 'n sicken ed-salad cut
yr eyes morph red lamps leaning toward the floor
yr smoking-shoe spitting combs a haw: t'rew hat
you, a y east (blew across yr thighs pollen loo
med moth ning core or ya aw rit!
U u
no has the lip the knoll f lap or (lungly heavy
nor has (a door a m ate your candor in the gates
sluicing I, slowly, numb "maybe" clangor back hacks
the roof is seething palm on me your slick-knack
flailings in the cage like pores hoo hoo a "teething-
meeting" soaking through the mattress: loop, bite,
bell. rud der. the nap you flat, the "score" slong
nape kinda sweaty and I lick it, mealy led no out
o mist borne rub bed across my fencing "hanger"
(hole
Un dust
yr knee tweet, like baloney-hopping and a//closet
lurk clay rendition, ham ur notary garlic luffed
o demeanor swaying tooth//ask list fl ask, "steam"
hamper (musty drop drap. yolk and cheek? rule the
meat door "see chest" walk and wal k the nickle
("nickel)" groaned 'n tore who knob battering,
kinda exhalation dump "'n crusty" mast" you jit
tered in yr bow "trousers" can
Cong rio
rot ary mossed the conger reel yr back furl "root"
or "soup" ding yr low mail rustles "ding 'n dat"
plan o' meat. "eat" keys. juts. might o' nerve
duct sidles out 'er sea o see g loom see g loves
see ton gue sieze (it cold Bell rust 'n shoe a
face nor more tha n ever "rice" dribbles from yr
buttcrack kinda curly in the dust an "E" you Mort
must dangle: list chews, gasping at the, deep deep,
fluttered in the bo wl
L'it
f lame flan ge lid "hole" 'n natur n 'n tiMe h
asp clapping in yr windy beach g land out huff
o o nipples curl leering out the window clu tter
"leak!" tempt foam, s core hAm, rips com place
ment of yr bockwurst was was *itching* geese and
scratching deep inside the frypan "like yr lip"
bung, ripples... nodes were nude yr. doff doff.
corner of the snare surf spread you bound o bast
floor, white yr watch! ey e ye
Go b b
gang tub eel sleep a wake I was "leaning wat"er
tore the ham rung eaSt lung. nipped. "E" lucidation
bangs of snore of. e coli bore the slant nom ination
castor, kale 'n caves, yr marin broth rolls 'n
tables o I slipped was here! gas tomb a//lung room,
knob climb, rightly left! steep ed out side, the
sticky crate, what. "ey e ye" fan of holes you
married in the faucet, kitchen! creams the (holster!
Ok e
pone mice d a crumb ah ape g rid air the hall rip
yr fla tuation KEY who, mumble muddy plate. fork
lice, hand me. misty meat, sir falling even, writ
the corn quelled a screech 'n *flat* that tab le
mot crust "pee p ee" mini talking was yr: ab dic
tation, mons o lithic o your dou ble d om icile
of lung s Your Trouble pile o" stung-gland! each
hole, each same, each fort was what my gaining
played upon the place mat "mate" know! EAst o EA
ch ch
Min ts
s lake ya bone 'n. creep foe damp leg "heap" tail,
gland o' mire yr piney slivers must. eat eat.
roost conditions or was roast. dangler lamp the
quaff was whore? Whole? even nightly gluttered
Beef or bee f lip osection through Ingredients
through a. plow and plow sink and sink bore the
napkins like a fan flank s temp led next yr crust
y, placid ref lux was yr pants were blinking sure
stone deep toe, *clustered* meant
He aps
no n ope nding sl ackly flo the cowers in the shadow
like secreted-name yr sed imental dome o phile's
gut's heaving, yaw. can door, murk an troop me me
g at HOSE the railing was a bLunt bEef in. your
lAKe. angle. worm sock (boo m b oom "Nippy" mister
flaked upon the toilet and your rectal rectitude
was. craw break: itchy snore your dangle mut e
'n mut please loop me please, Pleased You
Ru e'n h am
pee do.or you FLAp s Kin marblE at the teet h a
blind sway like ya nibbler at the f ile sloshed
water versal re blasted through my home green: b
ray. "wiggler" filth yr//pursed hips arch pr ay
'n (pra y each; find. warts find. heave find.
clang ropes yr fished slopes flappity flappity
'n sodden shoes ya. so breeds lap drool yr wish
to "me" mat ter n umber elevation and yr browny
hall. where a poo l t ilts ah nightly p ee
Two t oo
or my mom hall: reaped the c lam mall bright nipped
Nips o he hoo. was aspirina, damply. looser too.
you donned the pall, uh ham mer? "floating meat" co
co oft, dripping like a snake like, bream? where's
slept. *there* steam blankly *there* bloated un (like
*who*?) malt team the damp blare donned. the. coo coo
(lipping) really haw. "so you sank so" you park far
way too dust, sprayed down any. and the glee!
W ok
ruin ham the tossed. ah break, and de textion (core
moon breeder, you could c ake the fork the: ease
o mice lake, swam the tiny t rails the fuzz swam,
gleetly loose fore pork yr (flood 'n run "might"
dam: loo m aster reap re ap poplexic b rain s lings
yr tale o" c rawling u p t he b uss's a isle a c
hip bag o' s hit d rags dork windows creak. try at
all. or you pocket lust er few er locks. *twice* was
chained mighta beaned. er been clam ringed the mole
Hoc king
name po re. kin da cree p g landly s ack words sto
red the h all heh leap a heh. an y d ay snide,
"snore" mind nods beneath the desk"ination" crap o
you poured! 'n b read ly f ramed! 'n f lamed! sand
'n nodding in yr leedle tissue wad was. all com.
pacted. like stipation. gleam gleam! the rug rip
ples bags b low a cross the street yr pod thumb 'n
sore out side uh, tree a ban ner vase brimming
wit yr it "dumb who!" so milked a kinda rag a slow
'n teddy. "o" you glimmed...
B ark b ack
steep f lank *berm* speech shiv ered that drunk AM
more door re. strained by hall 'n knee jumping
still yr slimy knob s luck sluck deeps me! bread
chewed the road on. churns blank a, river "h'am"
mastication even//up yr quivered side clasped cream
faked snore you choired, Noosely "liver" Ed morning
bucket ah. drink heavely bend the wheel couldn't?
you dorm, snug in wire, no pretend a lake. so itchy
danced, so squat! (be am beam
Der mal
meter fog 'n clank clan k ink soupy slaw across
the table's heaves you dreaming "sticky mouth" 'n
glams mut. turd know, the gable-roof steams 'n
coughs its hat thunk. yr breezy thinning folds 'n
loops, leaves its surface hind 'n rusty o you clipper
must: each dome, each hamper ring, each holding off
the tooth yr tongue shed, shudder. the thinking-
needle jumps 'n clicks pan fried yr fingers hop
sputs the phone I felt an gland lung lung bit yr
saw was crusty in the break"fast nook", even s now
Go re al
lip mons. comb handle glowing in the toilet bowl
lander's navel washer flag, was her beam of's lope
her bandgum ("me me") oops poon cuddled in 'er
armpit lakely "slag drawer" rumbly in her pants
"when pulled", like Mikey's fossils. lump dance.
can of teeth. the glassy thigh. ah my wake! sme
lled you the higher reefs breath beneath yr shirt
//was stunned all//day passed way begun yr glanced
guest, chewing well a, name groaned barely, bare
ly fil
Fami nall
ignore the float dam meal your pearl at, musty left
this attic blank et fore spewly on yr sunk 'n lap
yr blink 'n hop ding clappy clappy, hall. buncha
clams. or reaching grew you hurled yr shorts down
the ladder thinking soup yr but lunch drifts "flaccid-
face": storms 'n crawled ass to say "no beach" reeking
mud the wheeled meal. o boat flesh rows a while! "du
sty" river "gated" spore "lopping" fork: these. sore
did tools and yr dripping ear a tongue dinks fields
of corpse. heaps. gland current out the door
Yard ag e
clan g hole we at her d cli pt g ate rrain wear
were sleeping leafed a tree d ual t high bait
rugged the. wall arm out you side snore (were
keepings well) away tear ("flit f lit") gummed yr
name bore b red b rightly glaucous, steer right
through yr hair's big dog drool ped. foam itch.
"new cleaver" vacuum. was t hat you chain saw? or
borer, named the farthest branch. where sat slapped
you, wakey barely clubbed 'n haw (keyage, scraped
Norm guffaw...
Moa ne
gleet roast so footsy fell beneath yr feet, toast
'n hammer s inking steaks 'n gravy why yr? visaged
lamp ("bulbous") but stammer whyn't you: leaping
leaping all around the bathroom this the life yr
wavy cheek. so said processal poo: leach. "eat o
eat" flank zits ah's o'er! so pure relent so reap
mu d mud (and the split. was zoom was pore was
brim and bowl cross pus (I dived, spread my jaw
like mantra ray a cave a tire a door a mete stinks
out a drench (lay c
Cum bre
flown core drizzling you saw Ham saw//the Door
flood writ glue. keen hole the fawn's damp misty
Misti washed it you, caked yr armpit "like a dust
gland" with's tips shorn, fuzzy me, co-regard less,
tome of sand. the meer froth a lake you say, bubbly
sawing in the. try a sip meat. beer and faucets.
clangor in the yard take a bite. yr legs asleep in
lit "beducation" rafter in yr mouth kite draw o
sags across the sky the balls I dropped, sank your
patty wet "storm hand paper"
Haw
all
blem niche re habitation bin the crass lab finds,
what you, teething knew, flotation or resemblance
lurky patty floats Mr. Sam Was comb bust. or seethe
notation, lice and turkey lubrication slug the clos
ets oh yr fear gas smiles! like a fish door you.
tripped the stairwell's smelly clastic boil I waded
in yr pants ("tube") bloated Mr. Ham Prance was,
highly lit, corn bled, near the last ribbed rubber
with a phone. was "coughing "Near The Tree...
H am dime
rage the lap flaw, raid. in a cup born ripping
many o the clam hall dripping was yr boot! tiny
mut mur o E cryption N scuttles behind the bookcase
final pout 'n claw's dam, where the faucet sighs,
like a lump! musty butter smeared with cathair "was
yr dong" glance yr "mouse wall" yr. type fasting so
yr scrawl "a page" *weeps* just the utter sky under
nap, a croak. your "bloomer" beans. was splopping
through the "puddle" left? was breezed y stroked?
no ("cryonics" thought "cryonics...
B ream at
stop ham the clue blame for, really peeling. wasp
it you? wasp drainage or you clean the sink (ham
tune) water cloy seeping through yr chest easter
or was yr socks slept the lame door ran to. dr
ink o'er the pill, unless. you skin yr bell lye
//trade it for//clocked yr hat the floor curds
"Squish" said eater lamp the table "fall the tri
mmings". o hair was p ainting! provides the clog
the plunge a map time the hall yr glands're runn
ing. the mighty pail you haul!
Bla st "bla me
re all eyes the glandur foam a rock et face to whomp
no call for this tle pocky thigh a can carnitas
nixtamal yr jockeys swollen but's yr walking still
with caulk still cream still whomp fath om bligo de
tu mon tod whee dome swirls with smoke up through
down see what? a shoe a worm a. cluster and dispersal"
flange. the c om bre cheek stalk key a spray and spray,
turns the rope bluster, wreathes yr sloping breath
Re allize
away 'n flaming in's hamaca like a sod all dry a
wipe he haw led bouncing mud he meatballs pockets
"shorts with milk 'n" cornflakes sleeps in's name
o "Cod" life falling blood. the naps. trays, dove,
"fry under" where who I leapt all clocking "sport"
"blind" call the director "Name" blat blat "Swingy"
dreams 'n clouds courts gloves: aw feet ring spread
across The Sleep where silk my socks knots, all
erectile slapped inside's dance "drinks" fell in,
reached the snaking phone
D rift rin d
gluing nothing "hinge" me spray notes 'n chewed souze
(foot meat//blink the//glans shines my hinge o fall
ing ladder *ours* (hinge boat blue and/or drinking c
lay that smile door hose me, plans to, sudsy, lumpy
froth beneath yr coat dam slacks: folded over you I
red "hinge" and "make" in tide our. green coming
always. hinged and motes, red kite. you rafter clam
b er steam awhile then hinged 'n mouthing where our
leg afloat, was born e sp lashing dropped the glue
Flo ward
tall lock and rains leaf bare clock and haft the
bag of peppers twisting in yr wind mind. hole
never ball of needle grass, you sieve, speedy-
bland. butt. temper monolith but breaky-hall where
you drooled down the//least baulk least levers or
a daughter's skin you wore lumpy like//a barefoot
danced a spitty floor (clothed *way* *up* key out cir
cled's frog white (contamination (fingers. brass
teeth your lord T
Clam or
slant fall the. coarse heaves dust inhaled was eye
a//flicker in the bathroom's Many Butts ("mastodon"
and) balls of flys yr crust no worse than. pie-pie,
stick it. molar frenzy you tell back not for (clues
an' leash foam, lens-ache ("cornea molida") tides
up yr bowl's edge "kissing" gluteous maximus I.
meet feet. meat feat this a clangor: no your daunting
me! (sliding, Spoot. tornasol the wind past. hissing
like yr teeth pass glass beneath yr tongue
Fishtan k
stay land the tree hole lipping writ yr hump fall,
o I blade, coronal flayed 'n suited stole my sister's
skin a thorn weld the only three instructions (bur
ning in the corner, stone a burns, lump clam. or the
well "bloomed. stipulation pole in flames "form"
come tell it me! the truth be corn teocalli or your
slippers. puddle blood. the path combs, a knot tlaloc
fire yr hot hand groping in the gravel wire you schem
less scheming glanced into the fog, up
De parture
clam hole said. rapt month ou ou cleaver in the hall
like sand. tree lamp or your trip loam muster wash
it you? "or" calamity a singer moment "planned
b"read over-chewed and in your pocket bleeder: nay
customer like a rancid ham "ney" flute. stand cold,
clay? re decide and re, all tampered was and all.
was hed nothing like a mouth or crown of spokes "blade
the clock" renewed 'n wasps! dripping down the dome's
trained station loss, "ary the"
Pott ee seat
day climb the faucet wheeze light clam.p orn a ment
al raising arms 'n cliff brine the closet's breeze
liporection. stance connection. and a flow fall
(damply (bent 'n air left yr blanket air's misdi
rection ("pedo" (s tank beneath the chaired kiss
hole really itched lank. flume tome caressed you
o: was need and homed, lapper. watch you chained a
nearly strewn my "g ear"s ladder fault "I was
"back"" flap, stayed 'n froggly hauled a lune (the
center's tark
C ash
stay 'n call, claw; leap crow nifty hat with jewelled
eye the old man smoking. puff yr h alter tar between
yr heads a collar phone I dial ate the skin 'n hair
yr giblets steaming on the. steps rug. like poor
condition gland a trial's eat 'n eat. triple moss
you sneezed! trays of leg the tripe flags! matter
mama coughing you, 'n sags flap flap. thrice must,
retard the haul you "made" lost a sinking log a log.
o chew caw repeat 'n drafty me! slow lump (out's t
ring hauled
S tick y tab le
Stay Down the (phone sand boat and dangler in the
chute bare you re turned yr bruise "lame hole"
inna. draft through you behind phew! mot mot "flutey"
said you sot splat. down. drowsy on a reef hot swell
a mud, beach, floating ham just, you and, and...
"flare the hall the Loop the fuzzy sandwich under
fridge sun slot beneath yr grey shutter (storm and
heat stay down yr dirt slick with mayo rice 'n mag
gots clouds, foam, edge
Ee ee
gut home. the drain land, scorched yr pants 'n labile
foundry in the hamper Ed ify congestion like a wind
ow lomming in a vacant. field inspect the larynx
crusty chains swallowed belts blood, yr band's//cone
of shit the mall gleams its exzemas oozing through
yr shirt walking backwards. gniklat. looks the same
a pointy turds. sdrut claims yr phalanx bloat the
flood you. ate heel. dusty flames swirling through
yr seat allow a, bacon fold! the wired thigh you
waited weighted, facedown on yr plate. a laundry!
Ah ant erior
can a dome the hall you wrassle loosely itchy in
decisive like a bean rat curled frosting under
side yr chairseat "thoughtless farting" what a leaf!
bean raft you were toothsome blunts. carried scar
away. dark dank 'n. locks lost redoubled washed yr
dip hole, *whole* reunion where you ass"whole" cake,
mean 'n fat pearled with flossing? why why, tumesence
salad clear 'n rings the temple falls. off 'n mumbles!
(worshipping the socks here here was clasping cheeks
'n all
Ad d it
blang yr. toe nest you traded thinly reach for. me
at the nail wall//snot//smears back at. m.e. leaks
'n calms the walker, "engorgement" moans "vacation"
leans scabby o'er the shopping cart 'n sang 'n clot
'n: deep feet "'n rougher washer" hand stuffly
thrusting knew yr rotor cuff clam. "calm" hah.
speared beneath the seat was blaster home na g eek
an y name yr motor bloods. "mirrors" my handle
greasy with a hotdog bun the clock "sink" inside
yr paperwait yr shoe yr brimming toilet ya!
Coat licues
play hall, the flat dog skulls behind yr door a
drain heaves breath flipping book yr pants fly
tripled rain inside yr writing arm plain hall the
dog door burns//hat gate//eated through yr knob
bright wit shit "look" yr damp fly writhing arm
like sand intestine coats of name you trade ham
skull behind yr skull dam dome whiffle whiffle.
lapping topic. seethe yr water gifts. nam tone
yr fray shirt licksy licksy reef me heel so's "I"
kin "say" all the (slathered dog yr day skirt