by William Ward Butler
I got that dog in me, orchestra of barking,
I got work in the morning and a flock of dogs
beneath my sternum, I got bottled rage and a whole lotta corks,
I’m quirked up and collapsing courts, I’m crushing quartz idols
and scattering the powder, the dogs are powerful,
on God, they’re guards, they watch for onlookers
looking for danger, I’m done with mercy sex
and ungrateful strangers, I’m over my ex-boyfriend
but not what he did to me, I forgot to forgive,
the dogs were kids once too, puppies,
I got progeny, sons like I’m Saturn,
quiet fires, it’s quietus, these riotous dogs
demand change but cringe at righteousness,
beware of evil bosses, beware
of good dogs, beware of crosses.
William Ward Butler is a writer from the San Francisco Bay Area. He is the author of the poetry chapbook Life History from Ghost City Press. He has received support from the Community of Writers and the Napa Valley Writers’ Conference. He is the poetry editor of Frozen Sea: frozensea.org