1

a wrens beautiful nest (pg. 138) some years ago a gentleman shot a crow and hung it up by a bit of wire as a warning the carrion-beetles picked its bones three years hollow carcase hung swung in breeze later on however a pair of wrens discovered it decided it would make a first-rate nesting-place they constructed a beautiful little home chiefly of old oak leaves and moss with walls an inch and a half thick and here they raised an interesting family of little wrens

2

my hot explosion, H.D., and your fingers, and your fingers, and your eyes like a staff

piercing me.

3

the tribe of bats (pg. 238) usual vampire bat is shaped fox nose sharp tongue pointed terminated by sharp prickles ears naked propensity to suck blood of men and animals during sleep however imagine this thirst for blood

4

dearest gladys:

i got ur fax its not fair to compare me to a vampire bat no ur not a princess in a castle

never were haha i couldnt keep you locked up if id wanted and here u are tugging on

my apron asking where ive been i told you ive been watching you been digging for

esteban in the night sky the blackest the most expansive while u take the hand of hd like

his hand is a thing that exists and you take him and take him to be your husband and

ive seen you there behind the hollows of decayed trees just fucking nesting nicely

i dont mean to be nasty its just that ur dad and i wanted so much so much so much

more for you and this hd ive seen him and ive heard him and ive never heard him say

anything good its all gods punishment lets stick pins in our bellies kinds of things

lets suck the blood of sheep in orchards or some such zebu-business ive been tracking

u both and i dont like what i see.

5

the fox (pg. 50) impossible to fully tame an object of diversion in the chase when finds himself pursued makes toward his hole lies there till a terrier is sent in he prefers paths most embarrassed with thorns fox has the most bright remarkable eye he is playful but like all savage creatures half reclaimed will bite on the least offense even those with whom he is most familiar if kept too long in domestic state generally dies of melancholy

6

how like a fox your eyes buried up to the gills in dirt slunk off sunk off way beneath the

fucking log piles I missed you it means nothing I missed you I loved you and for what

for blood blood blood and carrion and on and listen, just listen.

H.D.

I think, sir, youre obsessed with death, imagining our bodies sprung from hip, from

lung, filthy even in the dark of the gloaming, youre groaning, destitute of grace,

smacking your gums, cajoling us to steal-faced regard the blistered corpse. You, copse

of blackberries, my tributary, my love.

You, the corpse, sweet smelling and fecund, flowers springing from your ears, your

mouth. And birds nests in your chest.

Your always sweet,

Gladys