Sheila Dong

there is a tulip

there is a tulip

that looks like an alien radicchio

or an angel fetus

what the heck

it is too frilly to be a tulip

it is a baroque mess of violins blasted

from a passing car as you walk

back to your apartment where most

days are ordinary but today was not

today you were exceptionally afraid

and then you were not

the tulip sways in and out of your vision

oh consummate and dangerous dancer

oh totally fucked primaveral dreamwing

the tulip breaks

over your head in a burning wave

you could pull a sword out of a stone

or out of your stomach and survive

needing only five stitches

you also have a sudden fierce

craving for hummus

isn’t life a scream

by the way, the tulip was purple

like really deep purple

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