Shaughnessy - Human Dark with Sugar

In particular, I wish to thank my sister Lisa, my friends at Tin House, The Academy of American Poets, and Michael Wiegers at Copper Canyon Press. I will always be grateful to Bill Wadsworth, Dorothea Tanning, and Richard Howard for their friendship and kindness.This book is dedicated to my two great loves: my husband, Craig, and my son, Calvin.

Ill take back the night. Using me to swoon at your questionable light, you had me chasing you, the worlds worst lover, over and over hoping for a mirror, a whisper, insight. But you disappear for nights on end with all my erotic mysteries and my entire unconscious mind. How long do I try to get water from a stone? Its like having a bad boyfriend in a good band. Better off alone. Im going to write hard and fast into you, moon, face-fucking.

Something you wouldnt understand. You with no swampy sexual promise but what we glue onto you. Thats not real. You have no begging cunt. No panties ripped off and the crotch sucked. No lacerating spasms sending electrical sparks through the toes.

Stars have those. What do you have? Youre a tool, moon. Now, noon. Theres a hero. The obvious sun, no bullshit, the enemy of poets and lovers, sleepers and creatures. But my lovers have never been able to read my mind.

Ive had to learn to be direct. Its hard to learn that, hard to do. The sun is worth ten of you. You dont hold a candle to that complexity, that solid craze. Like an animal carcass on the road at night, picked at by crows, haunting walkers and drivers. Your face regularly sliced up by the moving frames of car windows.

Your light is drawn, quartered, your dreams are stolen. You change shape and turn away, letting night solve all nights problems alone.