please look through the boxes

in the basement and keep

searching through all your breast

pockets          youd learned nothing

from digging         nothing from

being dug

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

youd gone on

another long trip with

worthless cassettes and great

coffee flashlights rolling

on the floor untied shoes

heaviest in deepest

forgetting imagine

the ground getting up and

walking around

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

between

backyard you               everything

you youd think so look at

multi me dancing so

toothless so youd say free

then coming home to a

bedroom that had just been

tossed through the air         just one

room in your interesting

home had been tossed through the

air while              youre breathing          you

were away at a voice

lesson or digging deep

pits in your neighbors yard

and now you think my

health has even left my

skeleton              you smile tight

>>>>>>>>>>>

>>>>>>>>>>>>

Dusty Neu was born and raised in California’s rural San Joaquin Valley, but has spent the last few years in San Francisco. He has been a featured reader at the Velvet Revolution, Brainwash, and the Living Room reading series and his work has been published in Transfer, Pear Noir!, and VOLT. He now lives and works in Rome where he is a regular contributor to Revista Input.