Augury
by Samuel Piccone
One day, the window merely became something to wear
the starling’s blood. Even if we know better, some portents
write themselves. The disappointing parts about life
flashing aren’t the empty rooms, what little happened in them,
lull flaking from the walls like calcimine paint.
I remember my mouth reliving the long vowel of arrival
only to evolve into a hole in the cellar I plugged
with modeling clay to erase the dead mice of their smell.
I remember thinking, this is too easy to work and never being
more wrong about anything in my life. I’m told
the Lord is merciful with everything save the truth,
keeper of empty vials that He is. When the doctor ran
his scope through me, he found exactly what I imagined:
a whole lot of nothing getting through, bright scars in bloom
proud as ever to be there. I’m told I wouldn’t let go
of a nurse’s blue glove, certain it was her hand.
I’m told it was sad, how much I wanted to stay.
the starling’s blood. Even if we know better, some portents
write themselves. The disappointing parts about life
flashing aren’t the empty rooms, what little happened in them,
lull flaking from the walls like calcimine paint.
I remember my mouth reliving the long vowel of arrival
only to evolve into a hole in the cellar I plugged
with modeling clay to erase the dead mice of their smell.
I remember thinking, this is too easy to work and never being
more wrong about anything in my life. I’m told
the Lord is merciful with everything save the truth,
keeper of empty vials that He is. When the doctor ran
his scope through me, he found exactly what I imagined:
a whole lot of nothing getting through, bright scars in bloom
proud as ever to be there. I’m told I wouldn’t let go
of a nurse’s blue glove, certain it was her hand.
I’m told it was sad, how much I wanted to stay.
Samuel Piccone is the author of the chapbook Pupa (Anhinga Press, 2018). His work has appeared or is forthcoming in publications including, Sycamore Review, Frontier Poetry, Washington Square Review, and RHINO. He serves as poetry editor at Raleigh Review, and is a lecturer at Iowa State University.