My Body Is a Circus

lions      tigers
and bears

a scrum of disease   psoriatic arthritis   
spondylosis

skin crusted inches thick
exoskeleton of black spots

I need  a railing
to pull myself up stairs

a plan for getting off the floor
new ways to turn over in bed 

my pockets filled with  cookie boxes
disjointed memories       

and teddy whose head was sewn on
with red wool

***

Found Object – Composite Rock

ROUGH

composite
thrown out of earth’s

violent mouth
fits in the palm

perfect weight for throwing
smashes between eyes

bloody sister of wounds

ROUND

found in the park
50 people

celebrating children’s birthdays
pinatas smacked apart

red
one edge grey

too heavy to skim
the lakes surface

RUDE

in your face
egging you on

to brawl
with the beer boys

the tequila bros
sister of wounds

brokering peace
blood washing your teeth

REFLECTION

the composite
thrown together

by children
with play dough

shaped by indiscriminate
joy

***

Bonnie wrote into her early thirties and was published among other journals in POETRY. She started writing again after retirement has been published among other journals in Rhino, Entropy, So to Speak, Dunes Review and Gyroscopic Review. Bonnie worked as a landscape contractor with her husband and small crew in NYC for 35 Years. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband, 30 year old autistic son and her dog Drizzle.