Two Poems by Colin James

The Violence of Saints

Originally published in TSUNAMI (1991)

Credit the fishermen

in their waders

for absolutely refusing

to bow to fashion.

The young women bathers

who find the men's floating remains,

return them to the waters.

They bite at the attached

umbilical chords.

Their teeth

razor sharp from fasting.

Quarrels with Logic

Originally published in TSUNAMI (1991)

Lovers stroll

oblivious

through a discord

of startled birds.

Peeping Toms

look for flesh,

as silent

and as loud

as the dead.

Trees display sneakers

hung like alien tendons.

We are late again,

our reservations useless.

The horny waiter pouring

wine in the dark.

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Colin James has a book of poems, Resisting Probability, from Sagging Meniscus Press, and a chapbook of poetry forthcoming from Scriptor Press.