Kristy BOWEN





the synaesthete's love poem


And yesterday, blue tasted like licorice.
Even the wind chimes caused dizziness;

the ache of paper lanterns rotting
from the acacias. Perhaps the L

in my name makes you sad,
evokes a film where a woman

waves from a train. Or how
this horizon wants to be a hymn.

If you listen, you can
hear the holes in the alphabet,

the sounds lit by the lamps
of our bones. Perhaps

with this page I could fashion
a boat or a very convincing window.

A dress made entirely of vowels.








instructions for when traveling abroad


Nonetheless, a flashlight is indepensable. Beware the winded, or plundered, or spilled. You never know when bonelessness may prevent accident, particularly when dancing with Italian men.

On every continent, obscurity invents mystery. Chewing gum may help. A petticoat beneath a black skirt may mend the interstices between syllables. Be prepared.

For every vaulted ceiling, or tattered calendar, draw an x across your forearm. Do not long to steal the chandelier or place oranges at the foot of St. Cecelia.

On Saturdays, wash your lingerie in white, scentless soap.







from the dream concordance


pg. 67 you were thinking torn and the hyacinths had teeth
pg. 78 caught when telling a lie, her teeth began to crumble into her cupped palm
pg. 89 an atlas roughly the size of a table, his teeth gleamed in the lamplight
pg. 99 forgotten the buckets, milk-heavy, the day's teeth already into her
pg. 104 the space behind her teeth and tongue purpling and erratic
pg. 107 when bending at the waist, the movement of the comb's teeth along the scalp
pg. 110 hard toothlike projection from the beak of embryonic birds, assists in hatching, and later falls off
pg. 112 the top of the backbone and already in the teeth, the fever spreads to the ears
pg. 130 exhibited a certain sweet tooth and affinity for lemon cake
pg 141 loss of teeth could denote a deprivation of vitamins, but may signify a loss of love.
Unusually large teeth may indicate dishonesty or wordiness.



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