patiently
I wait for scissors
and cups

it’s kindergarten
what is the purpose of blocks?
or sand?

kids
play in the alley
my brown lace-up shoes are heavy

tomorrow
a snow hurricane
will bury our words

lines
on the staircase
why do children laugh?

Sunday
I stare at the locks
and write:

I showed him the way out
he never listens
the locks jam
as he waits
for me to return
and release him

I bring my own scissors
to the stage, please
cut off my clothes

sirens end performance
poets stand naked and lying
I wait for the cups

Puma Perl
Puma Perl is a NYC based writer and performance artist. Her poetry and fiction have been published in over 100 print and online journals and anthologies. Her first chapbook, Belinda and Her Friends, published in 2008, was awarded the Erbacce Press 2009 Poetry Award in a field of over 1400 applicants; a full length collection, knuckle tattoos, was published in early 2010.