<span style="font-family:arial, sans-serif;font-size:13px;border-collapse:collapse"><span style="font-family:Tahoma, sans-serif;font-size:16px"><p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:0pt">
<span style="font-size:small">CLEANING MUST FAIL</span></p><p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:0pt"><font size="2"> </font></p><p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:0pt">


<span style="font-size:small"><br></span></p><p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:0pt"><font size="2">Good spot to commit suicide.</font></p><p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:0pt">


<font size="2">Nothing "to" distract, interrupt</font></p><p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:0pt"><font size="2">Or change your mind, little mess and</font></p><p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:0pt">


<font size="2">Someone "to" pick</font></p><p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:0pt"><font size="2">It up tomorrow.  "The" best place</font></p><p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:0pt">


<font size="2">Is a hotel</font></p><p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:0pt"><font size="2"> </font></p><p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:0pt">
<font size="2">Room.  (Bathtub.)  Remember "the" poem</font></p><p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:0pt"><font size="2">By Lisa Jarnot where she took</font></p><p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:0pt">


<font size="2">"The" paper that Jim Buckhouse wrote</font></p><p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:0pt"><font size="2">For undergrad</font></p><p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:0pt">


<font size="2">Intro "to" philosophy class</font></p><p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:0pt"><font size="2">About whether</font></p><p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:0pt">


<font size="2"> </font></p><p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:0pt"><font size="2">He could be wrong "about" being</font></p><p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:0pt">


<font size="2">In pain "and" changed "it" "to" Paris?</font></p><p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:0pt"><font size="2">I'm doing "the" opposite "of"</font></p>


<p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:0pt"><font size="2">"That."  This little</font></p><p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:0pt">
<font size="2">Body I uncover without</font></p><p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:0pt"><font size="2">Expectation</font></p><p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:0pt">


<font size="2"> </font></p><p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:0pt"><font size="2">"Of" pleasure, intimate but not</font></p><p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:0pt">


<font size="2">Sexual, like handling someone's</font></p><p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:0pt"><font size="2">Stomach, "or" has "that" been rezoned?</font></p>


<p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:0pt"><font size="2">All professors</font></p><p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:0pt"><font size="2">"Of" English should take "a" vow "of"</font></p>


<p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:0pt"><font size="2">Celibacy.</font></p><p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:0pt"><font size="2"> </font></p>
<p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:0pt"><font size="2">Do you even enjoy "the" things</font></p><p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:0pt">


<font size="2">"You" call "pleasure"?  "I" was tempted</font></p><p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:0pt"><font size="2">"To" whisper "do you" love me "or"</font></p>


<p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:0pt"><font size="2">"Do you" merely</font></p><p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:0pt">
<font size="2">"Love" "your" work?  Both varieties</font></p><p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:0pt"><font size="2">Are restricted.</font></p><p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:0pt">


<font size="2"> </font></p><p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:0pt"><font size="2">Anyone who "has" made "a" list</font></p><p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:0pt">


<font size="2">Knows how difficult "it" can "be"</font></p><p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:0pt"><font size="2">"To" "do" "work."  My job "is" finding</font></p>


<p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:0pt"><font size="2">Curves, overlaps</font></p><p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:0pt"><font size="2">"And" confused "by" "things" "that" used "to"</font></p>


<p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:0pt"><font size="2">Turn "you" on, links</font></p><p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:0pt">
<font size="2"> </font></p><p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:0pt"><font size="2">"On" "the" burning necklace, without</font></p><p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:0pt">


<font size="2">Activating "it" recedes, rough</font></p><p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:0pt"><font size="2">"And" smooth interests "of the" flesh</font></p>


<p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:0pt"><font size="2">Withdrawn from "you"</font></p><p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:0pt">
<font size="2">"I" resented "the things" "I" loved</font></p><p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:0pt"><font size="2">"And" couldn't feel.</font></p>


<p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:0pt"><font size="2"> </font></p><p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:0pt"><font size="2">Only "the" cold recognizes</font></p>


<p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:0pt"><font size="2">"The" appearance "of" "love."  Gelid</font></p><p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:0pt">


<font size="2">"The" heart, wrapped "in" "a" plastic sheet</font></p><p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:0pt"><font size="2">Acknowledges</font></p>
<p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:0pt"><font size="2">"The" power "and" extent "of love."</font></p><p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:0pt">


<font size="2">"You" "turn" "me" "on"</font></p><p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:0pt"><font size="2"> </font></p><p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:0pt">


<font size="2">"But" "you" don't make "me" laugh.  "You don't"</font></p><p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:0pt"><font size="2">"Turn me on but you" "do" something</font></p>


<p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:0pt"><font size="2">Better: "you" influence "me."  "My"</font></p><p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:0pt">


<font size="2">"Turn" "is a" kind</font></p><p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:0pt"><font size="2">"Of" uniqueness ("only").  "Only"</font></p>


<p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:0pt"><font size="2">Criminals know</font></p><p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:0pt"><font size="2"> </font></p>


<p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:0pt"><font size="2">"How" "to" "enjoy" life.  C</font><font size="2">hange "it" back</font></p><p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:0pt">


<font size="2">"To" "pain."  "</font><font size="2">Do" "not" restate "do not"</font></p><p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:0pt">
<font size="2">Resuscitate.  Visualize</font></p><p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:0pt"><font size="2">Myself "in" "a</font></p><p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:0pt">


<font size="2">Hotel room" when "the" door opens</font></p><p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:0pt"><font size="2">"And" "pain" walks "in"!</font></p>


</span><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><span style="font-family:arial, sans-serif;font-size:13px;border-collapse:collapse"><b>Aaron Kunin</b> is the author of <i>Folding Ruler Sta</i>r (2005) and <i>The Mandarin</i> (2008), both from Fence Books.  A new chapbook, <i>Cold Genius</i>, is available from The Physiocrats.  He lives in Los Angeles.</span></span><br clear="all">


<br>-- <br>RealPoetik<br><a href="http://realpoetik.blogspot.com" target="_blank">realpoetik.blogspot.com</a><br>