HEART

My singing teacher asks me why I’ve stopped.

I have a theory about waves in a soft
song, projecting ribbons through
headphones and children’s laugh—

Bullshit!
She says. Just learn
to get out of your own way.

The mind tubers up through sacs and
pallets by the sun of pituitary intuition
until the voice sprouts daisylike—

There you go again!

Or doesn’t. Some days illuminate,
others snuff. There grows in misty
forehead bumble bees a parting—

If you have to, she says, think low &
vertical & light—then don’t think
at all for god’s sake!

the way syllables remind us
how much language
was created for poetry.

Look, she licks her teeth. Practice scales,
conjure a garden, plant a grain of breath
into the fist muscle under your sternum,

but you can’t be thought to sing
like Kelly Clarkson.

Apparently OK Cupid “uses math
to get you [ass].” Kelly Clarkson
has this song called “Einstein”
with the chorus, “dumb plus dumb
equals you.” I have trouble “driving
it home” on dates. Let’s call it 1664
and shirking.

A good friend of mine works in proofs,
draws them on long, white boards
and tried to explain how algorithms change
the orientation of smart phone screens
when you horizontal.

I couldn’t pay attention because math
is boring! and I had to know if TacosTacosTacos
rated me four stars or higher as well.

i love you Kelly Clarkson

Here’s me reading my poem “Kelly Clarkson”