bullseyes 

the distance between
needle & need is not far enough.
in the cupboard my bouquet of syringes
is taking selfies. is it still a selfie 
if the picture is occasionally someone else?
what can i do to become more 
disposable. i need a nice trashbag
to dance in. out behind my house
a trash monster devours the rinds of
my oranges. a ring appears on my leg
& it's neither a trap door 
or a coin. it's possible 
a manhole cover. i am possibly
a sewer. all the water is 
running away down the side of the mountain.
what have you evacuted from recently?
i am scared the planets will align wrong
& all my friends will turn to basil.
i press a needle into the wall
& inject exactly what we both need.
the house becomes hairy & hungry.
a fever is settling into both our bones.
holes in the ceiling reveal 
my neighbor. he smokes 
all day. he kisses the cigarette
like a house husband. rings of smoke
curtsy in his living room. every living room
has a dying room on the opposite side.
i pull up the floor boards 
to find mine. not what you might expect.
not all black or all white,
just a light sepia tone across everything
& a sleepy feeling. 
a bowl of red hard candies promises 
if you eat one you will never leave.
when participating in a haunting
it is most important to not use
your hands. don't touch anything.
my favorite ghost runs his finger 
across my shoulder & i ask him
if he knows where needles are born.
he does not. a needle bush
is alive somewhere. the hands 
of the pickers are raw from 
grazing the implements. i used to 
knick my palm & my thumb.
i have been a red tomato pin cushion. i have been 
a dying room complete with a gramaphone.
after it rains, i'm going to convince the water
to form a lake in my bath tub.
i will fill the syringes with water
& press them into my tongue 
when i feel myself slipping beneath 
the sofa again. a man is soon coming
to break the blood vessels on my neck. 
i will hand him a need 
& not a needle. i will tell him
to press his hand to the ring.
i will ask him to bring me a lake. 
press the needle right here.