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Two Poems
by Noelle Kocot



The Vineyards

There are no more vineyards
To work in today. Fuck what

The plethora of turtles do when
They're alone. They're yours.

Riding an animal is not the same
As walking away from a situation.

And if I've walked away, and
Scarred you, I know only that

Your disease you wanted to spread
Freely among the eaves was

Not something to joke about.
Rest. There is a storm coming

Our way. To say it and not mean
It is worse than not saying it

And doing it anyway. This I know
In my bones. Your bones, too,

Little one. They are teeming
With gold and myrrh, and the grasses

You walk contain an alphabet.
You can spell something with it,

Or you can go to sleep. You can
Dream of tiny people you trust

With your life, the life outside
The cans of ham you give away

Freely, like the black warm love
You save for better days.

Anniversary

To create something out of nothing,
Pretty sweet, ain't it? It keeps you
Coming back, coming back. Like a
Cold beer, or even a warm beer. Now
Wait, you quit. Yeah, I quit. Can someone
Be addicted to God, or is it all a farce?
Land-lover, you kill me. Recognize,
Don't hate. Your loops circle, you are

One hairy girl! Toothless. Come back,
Go away, it doesn't matter. The egrets
Are waiting for you, waiting there in the
Abecedarian grass. To give up something
Is to re-kill it. Remember that for next time,
When you want something for yourself.