Some polish               to  sliptoe    against
the  grain                    that  rosewood  has
                                      when
                   it’s  a  box  and
                   kidnap       the   little   time   it
takes  to  solder  two  times
together
in a locket for lockaway
seasons: a     pocket
watch      and inside
                 the  insides  of forget-me-nots
                                    a    nil-ado        duet
                                    for dauphine hands
                                    tsk-tsk
trails  off  from   cockcrow      vibrato —
nickel  inflicted  on  nickel
                              overhauls matins
                   again










                       and  how  many  gimcracks
               grit  indifference
                            through      clenched
                                 teeth       and carry on
for  the  all  the  alsos  that  make  a  day
how  many                                 hairspring
          trigger  pulls
          from      the  slag heaps
                          —     gearworks gone awry
pinions      akimbo
a cicatrix   where the rubies were
                                and   scratched
        sapphires  crumble  flecks  of  sun…
Snap   the   case   back
                                back and close the lid:
a vapor of gold plate
                   as  deep  as  luster
                   runs  in  this  souvenir.