...you're waiting because you thought it would follow, you thought there would be some logic, perhaps, something to pull it all together but here we are in the weeds again, here we are in the bowels of the thing: your world doesn't make sense.
Richard SikenA man takes his sadness down to the river and throws it in the river โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโbut then heโs still left with the river. A man takes his sadness and throws it away โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโbut then heโs still left with his hands.
Richard SikenWe can do anything. Itโs not because our hearts are large, theyโre not, itโs what we struggle with. The attempt to say Come over. Bring your friends. Itโs a potluck, Iโm making pork chops, Iโm making those long noodles you love so much.
Richard SikenA kid under a tablecloth insists heโs a ghost. A table underneath a tablecloth is, I guess, like the rest of us, only pretending to be invisible.
Richard SikenAll night I streched my arms across him, rivers of blood, the dark woods, singing with all my skin and bone ''Please keep him safe. Let him lay his head on my chest and we will be like sailors, swimming in the sound of it, dashed to pieces.'' Makes a cathedral, him pressing against me, his lips at my neck, and yes, I do believe his mouth is heaven, his kisses falling over me like stars.
Richard SikenHello, darling. Sorry about that. Sorry about the bony elbows, sorry we lived here, sorry about the scene at the bottom of the stairwell and how I ruined everything by saying it out loud. Especially that, but I should have known. You see, I take the parts that I remember and stitch them back together to make a creature that will do what I say or love me back.
Richard Siken