g a r y    l u n d y

the women. all. four. five. or

the women. all. four. five. or. in loud. voice. may be. in. unison. there having. are. three rapes. or attempts. in one week. loud crying. not at. all. shrill. but connects. warranting. in fearing. that is. the possibility. of their. bodies. too. violence. violate. one. of the. these. four. five. maybe more. or so. it may having. happens. not too long. ago. she raped. too. that not. she having. moves to new. neighborhood. this. may be. how it happens. they. all in accord. wanting. push the salt. flavor. of power. this. out toward. windows. two. open. and. like sparrows. or. more probably. flies. it. this voice. migrates into. the blue bright. autumn sky. no thing. gravity. not even can. help. they. dance. hold hands. find solace. circle. all the while. in fearing. understand. this is no. joke. they. may be. next. the other. ones. two. or three. men. wander. in the fringes. wonderful. befuddlement. not knowing. appearing incapable. of rape. knowing. understand. in fearing. the recess. their minds. it can be. even though it. is not here. possible.

remember. memory shades. drawn close. to the floor. this much earlier. here. this other. one. feels. fearing. his panic. when. surrounding. women. chant. all men. are. rapists. and he. there is no. escape. does not. look up. holds close to. his. seat. does not. know. to pray. instead. fearing. as too. these women. surrounding. fearing. being next. they. some. will be. but not. to. day. now. this being. later. and they. these. all in power. fearing. in masks. name names. accuse. make them. up. settle it. make no. difference. but. he. now later. drives driving. throat scars. the infant. this an other. not that one. making suckling. elephant noise. swallows. wooden block. scarring. swells shut. his throat. it passing. though. through safely. he does. is not. hurt. finally.

never settling. he. this one. agitates. wonders. aimless. spills radiator fluid. knocks wind. out. cleaning. cleans. the house. does this. it not being. yet. time. nor. precisely. will it. just like this. happen. driving. he drives. to get out. too. past. this new. the next. horizon. to. driving drive. an other. swelling heat. it is early. summer. or spring. day. high seventies. pale green. on. swarms of. gnats. flies. prism light folding. enfolding. the car. this one. a. brown toyota. or. it may be. precisely. the subaru. older. gray. he. opening. wind sears. the top. of his. he driving. to drive. his forehead. shears. the wind strong. coming up. beside. the car. it may. not. be a new. one. but travels. he. imagines. meets some one. they. this new one. not knowing. prefers. women. does not. believe. every man. rapes. her. yet. loves scent. of olive shadows. lying across. their lap. reclining. body. of her lover. they. these two. women. now. new. together four. years. hard work. but. in these moments. fearing.

worth company. she. this other. now. finding. eyes. he looking. nonchalant. as in some. recoiling. mechanical mode. eyes. slightly. closed. the sun blares. tempers both. the sweat. one delicious. drop. down. one of their. cheeks. it being. redundant. this day. heat indexes. common reduction. they may. get together. he thinking. too. this follows. after. she suddenly. shudders. leaves. he having. happens to. linger. his stare. on her shoulder. left breast. the other. mother. suckles. the infant. making elephant noise. sleeps. she. too. opulent. radiant. fearing. in feeling. feels good. to be out. and. on such a. day. the women. surrounding. fearing. begin. shout insults. until. he gets up. to leave. one or. an other. of these. others. surrounding. push at. he falls. down. not until. they. these surrounding. others. are finish. with him. in. this again. says this. earlier. he. in mess. with. an other. woman. mistakes him. police. all hot. aflame. come arresting. there later. being finally. no charge. she knowing. then.

mistaking. the neck. muscles. pull taut. choke. a rhythmic. septic pleasure. this community. she. being behind. counter. beautiful. saves. protects. community. language meaning. means. solid and. insurance. with chaos. lapping up. slivers. of silver machination. the voice. their. being taking. finishing. all along. the. conversation avoids. they make. no mention of. this. having. happens. precisely. not like. this. event. their separation. she says. the one. whose knee. shines. appealing. through tear. in jeans. says. perhaps aloud. she will. get. over you. her knowing. shudders. wants wanting. to. go back. patch it all. up. there being. no more. opportunity. late. earlier. than.

next

GARY LUNDY lives in dillon, montana where he is a professor of english at the university of montana-western. his writing has appeared in various magazines and journals, most recently red owl, iodine poetry journal, edgz, plain brown wrapper, moria poetry journal, and pacific coast journal. he has work forthcoming in pudding magazine, snow monkey, karamu, ginosko, buckle &, fluent ascension, clara venus, and heeltap. in his spare time he builds guitars and mandolins.