there are forests and forests of animals living in her shoulders endurance gone
wild so many times their territory burns inside her posture like a second or third spine
these creatures come and go depending on how many statues the night sets out
so many chess pieces to test her will
Latrino Gals #5; Photo by Jacqui Bellamy
II. slow nights
she calculates risks in even the simplest of things in a blink without an abacus
because she's learned them like nursery rhymes the risk of brushing her hair by an open window or singing in the bath
the risk of sex no matter how strong the protection
because endless species roam in and out of her shoulders regardless of how
many times her butterflies are dipped in venom then dried on the plateau
serum is out of the question because their whispers can't be distilled even their voices
can harden and crumble from either side
III. powerful nights
some nights climax war in other words and this already strange species mutates from the heat
and anxiety and pumps rabies into the rivers burning trees like matchsticks
tearing the names off everything until the forest is a wasteland
and those same animals look to her for answers without a
compass or bread- crumbs without a map or stars or even a watch she leads them back
into the green part of the woods where she covers them with moss
which soothes their weird wounds and quiets their eyes as they float off on leaves
into the perfect sleep of children again
About the Author
Peter Schwartz is a painter, poet and writer. He's also an associate art editor for Mad Hatters' Review. His artwork can be seen all over the Internet but specifically at: www.sitrahahra.com. He's had hundreds of paintings, poems, and stories published both online and in print and is constantly submitting new work as if his very life depended on it. His last exhibition was through Aesthetica Magazine and featured a projection of his digital painting 'Terminal 4' on a busy street in York, UK. This December his work will be featured at the Amsterdam Whitney Gallery in Chelsea NYC.
My main focus in art is color, design and composition. I have a true passion for color as the art subject itself - how colors fit together, how they communicate with each other within the design, how certain colors combined with one another evoke a certain feeling - this is paramount in my work. I am a social worker, artist and poet living in Austin, TX. Read More...
Peter Schwartz is a painter, poet and writer. He's also an associate art editor for Mad Hatters' Review. His artwork can be seen all over the Internet but specifically at: 
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