College Graduation

by J.M.Hall

brakes shriek
axis takes a bite
of friction out of globe
New Zealand melted
oozing orange
plastic

tradeless winds align
against destinies
weathervane
one-track spine
steel-still the flow
my current

is out of date
out of print words
pop through a column
of air barely
suspended

summer comes
cocklebur blanket
sheets of solid pollen
pulled up yellow
around fat sinuses

silence burrows
lice in skin
of soul and language
is little defense

though Karenin
and Vronsky
have made a noble
last stand on my parents’
living room couch
warring over
the hours