Ulrike Draesner

1962 / Munich

SLY SLINK

sly slink to the shelves: the way you remove
an old book and read till the dawn's first
talon turns as rosy as sludge from a lung
a raid on the heavens, hazy - the old minnesong
ruffling a sky that's decked with plume strokes
of heron crane, ornate enlightened november
put on wrist warmers, finger-play for a twilight
on the window sill a pair of wasps, she plump
he slight strapped to her back, fucking they are
which lasting long's a thousand wasps, stings
in the coming year. quick, you too hear
the tumult in your breast (maids ladies brain
skein) the way that shape flies up at the
camera's click, it's undivided still, abuzz!
for a moment you ponder the yellow leaf the
red leaf their slinking quiver the sun's
short stab, sailing falling coming cold
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