Moon Ritual

plaster your heart's secret moon rituals
wainscoat them from the rain and the stars
dig through drawers for the candles
sing every birthday in the attic
for the outdoors is a fearful thing
always clawing at our sheetrock, our marble
only to ruffle rancid in the corner
what a mumbling horror we walk around to make breakfast
to pluck a book from the shelf
but we can always make our house smaller
plaster our way to joy
and we forget our words
and we forget our songs and our incantations
and when that round crust
soaked with milk rolls through my eyes
my echoes loop like a glitch, a trilling migraine
so set the table like we did
when our brows knit sweaters at the grey dawn
when we held hands in the dark
when you thudded through the front door
i caress the tarot
with only room to stand
safely wrapped in reveries, oh, how noble --
the dreamer dreams while the world is nought
the record spins while the cheshire cat grins
world orders illuminated in my gourd
bargain-seller and fortuneteller
kings and queens, flesh poured over black velvet
beams of day, round and giggling they crowd the door
they wiggle at the keyhole
craning for your muffled words