Two Poems

in la belle france he sends me letters full of chess moves—pawn to c4—& i do not write back tho he pleads w/ me write back only text him—the pawns stampede northward, the pawns all read ovid, oh we are changed—a tiny rocket ship & a depthless-cratered moon & really, please, one letter—the knights try to seduce his queen, the girl beside me paints aurelia labiata & wounded umbrellas, she envies me when the mail comes—they fail, where is my letter—then the bishops—seriously?—yes—have you even played chess before?—yes, once—we go to the sea but i cannot keep my kite aloft—we have a bonfire that night, charcoal & gouache all aflame—once?—w/ my father, he spotted me his queen & both rooks & when he was two moves from winning he offered me an honorable draw, he was always two moves from winning, i did not take it, when he had won i took my king to the pacific, to half moon bay, i wanted him wave-beaten—laurel—i wanted him forgetful that once he had made clumsy war in my hands

Tho they are rumored      to exist in the wild            & eat only blueberries.
                  Insomniac            child I would storm.
Into my parents’ bedroom holding all            the scented ponies tangles.
                  In their candy floss hair      it was deep night they would.
Send me back      thinking of sleepy rabbits            & outer space.
Dearest Santa forgive me my trespasses I did not want to be   vigil-wired.
                  I am gathering moss      in yr absence      still the lit.
Flares in all the firs            still the firemen guarding me            closely it is near.
                  Like the dreamt logic      where the lion is free to eat you.
If it is adequately beautiful            that seems fair   all lions are.
            I am   done watching for morning you’ll be            at my door.
& say Huntress & then      salvation            by blueberries alone.