the stark abasement and the bloodied pool
the blameless killer and the useful tool
the sharp invective and the diamond ring
the guileless hack and the expected thing
the carefree promise on the summer breeze
the words that will wound, the look that will freeze
the houses of lovebirds, streets full of laughs
weeds that grow over the brief epitaphs
the guarded gateways of the blue resort
the coded message and the smugglers’ port
perfumed profusion and the golden braids
how passions crumble and how memory fades
the handy blowtorch and the well-oiled rack
the scheduled tumor, the timed heart attack
the careful plotting and the flawless heist
the ones who got rich, the ones who got iced
the taut temptation and the cunning trap
the dance on a pole, the dance on a lap
the gilded prison and the vicious boar
the missing bullet and the evened score
the bitter potion and the feigned deceit
the champ, the victim, and the subtle cheat
the glaring defect and the hidden flaw
when no one listened and what no one saw
the pained perception and the tables turned
the quest abandoned and devotion spurned
the shattered proxy and the awkward dance
no need for planning, nothing left to chance
the sloppy murder and the teenage crush
the open question and the headlong rush
the severed finger in the forest glade
the louche detective and the ancient blade
the world of turnings in a broken mold
a tale perfected without being told
the soaking daydrink and the blinding sun
the tower signal and the scheming nun
the fiery phantom and the sham request
the empty coffin though you did your best
the borrowed meanings in a torrid space
the frantic efforts and the shackled lace
Jay Goldin works in academia and journalism. He has published poetry, fiction, film essays, book reviews, and photographs.
