Make history pleasant; give it a changing
and half-slumped position. Make war
squat and cushion-like. Make a birthday
cake of the emperor’s furniture—if a stick
persists, make warm brown tea. Aethelwold
is drunk again, Cnut buzzing like a fly.

Morning is a busy time. We must forget
variations on the quake and sweat
in a walk on the long stairway of necessity.

A great crisis occurred, guilty verdicts,
no rescue for the dead. Devoid of human
population, seas abound in fish. No such
seas are left. Put the project aside. No one
will miss you until lunch. History disappeared
in a yellow boat behind the island.

originally published in Stone Canoe (2012)

reprinted in Strange Histories by artist Ian Trask, slide collages with writings by friends. You can order this book directly from Ian’s website.
The multimedia Strange Histories (2018) contains 3 of my poems.

One of the rotations in my website’s header image is
the ‘Kitchen Theater’ page from this fine art book.