Restless 3 O'Clocks

by Nikki Moen

One needle multiplied by ten
for soft-colored patches on all these good-girl projects
and then
one thick, camel-eye tool with fishing line as thread
and we'll make like story number one
in Splatterpunks number two

And out on the bridge are
twenty leaning, inked-up, roughed-up beauties
and they hail you with red mouths
among slack jaws and and diamonds
and all boast two portfolios
and three lovers
each

so tell your own wet mouth to hush
and your mind to stop racing
your two legs to stop jerking under the blankets
because nothing is ever resolved
before the sun breaks loose
and that is the colossal joke